FROM BRAND IDENTITY TO BRAND IMAGE: Person-on-the-street interviews

So far, we greatly discuss Nespresso and Malongo business philosophies and how both brands strive to position themselves. For this article, we started from the differentiation we saw in class between Brand Identity and Brand Image and went to see directly their customers in order to collect primary data!  

If we recall,  

“Brand identity is the way the company WANTS to identify or position itself or its product or services.”  

“Brand image is the way the public PERCEIVES this aim.”  

To go further, we decided to carry out street interviews on THEIR customers. Indeed, we think it can be helpful to gather a range of true public opinions. We went in front of a Nespresso Store and a Malongo Store at the heart of Paris to learn more about their in-store experience, feelings, images, beliefs, and the reason why they show loyalty towards these brands.   

First of all we asked customers to describe the brand Nespresso or Malongo in a single word. What’s interesting here is the fact that customers refer Nespresso directly to the brand itself rather than a coffee or its production. Words like “brand”, “prestigious”, luxurious”, “Clooney”, came directly to the mind of Nespresso customers whereas for Malongo, the emphasis is placed on « biological coffee » « fair trade », « small producers », « biological coffee ». As you can see from this interview, Malongo customers are well aware that the company is a pioneer in the area of fair trade and their share in the “equitable commerce”. Rather than a brand, Malongo is perceived as a traditional and ethical roasting company. While both in-store universes highlighted in this video are really different, the “authenticity”, “home made” and « traditional » coffeee is clearly what appeal Malongo customers.  

On the other hand, it is a well-known fact that the more modern and glossy Nespresso produces waste in the form of aluminium capsules. This is definitely a valid argument, and Nespresso points out, that the capsules are recyclable and you can see in the video the famous recycling bag and leaflets given to customers when they come to the store. Indeed, Nespresso is not a non-ethical company only because they do not have the Fair Trade stamp.  

However, the world of social media and as an example the Facebook group « I boycott Nespresso if they don’t go Fair Trade » keep raising awareness about the fact that Nespresso is one of the most expensive coffee on the market but is still not fair trade and has been attacked for the exploitation of third world coffee pickers.  

Whereas Nespresso has recently started rebuilding its image around Sustainabilty and Fair Trade, they need to bridge the gap with these new green and eco-friendly customers.   

The iconic, sexy and highly paid Hollywood actor George Clooney was a very clever marketing move by the Swiss company. Well, the whole world knows that Clooney loves Nespresso. What else? That maybe the time for the bankable star to give this enigmatic question, a sustainable answer!  

ALD