The main component of business identity is the so-called “Brand Character”: the whole human characteristics of the brand. It relates more to the public and their characteristics, and how the product interacts with them. It includes the target audience’s specificities and characteristics, such as age group, gender, social, emotional and psychological status and material situation. As indicated in “The benefits gained from identity building”, Brand Character divides the market into different categories as per income, age, gender and standard of living. This targeting accurately reflects the brand character of brand and the characteristics of its audience that is being addressed, as well as in the possibilities of building sub-identities arising from the main parent brand.
This can be illustrated by the following example: “Mobily” offers a sub-identity of one of its products, “Raqi Service”, which is described as masculine, elegant and classic, while its other service as “Mobily Fallah” is characterized by energetic and fun for youth. And its service “Mobily star” as a classic feminine.
These are the distinctive characters of the sub-identities, which can be called: the brand character. It is about the way it interacts with audience and identifies the features and characteristics of human consumers. For example, if one is asked about McDonald’s, he may answer: funny, spontaneous, loved by children, cheap, available, widespread, fresh and clean.
The presence of a distinctive brand character facilitates the consumer’s deep understanding of this brand, thus creating an emotional relationship with it and specific feelings when seeing or dealing with the brand. This made consumers believe that Nike shoes are not just shoes; they are a way of life and mobility.
The significant point in this aspect of the study is about the mechanism of creating a distinctive brand character. Companies follow many techniques in this aspect, including: using pictures of individuals dealing with the product during their daily lives. The same for many products in the food and personal care sector, or by sponsoring certain events that relate to the characteristics of their audience. For example, Red Bull Energy Drinks sponsors youth events and racing for Formula cars. Or through using celebrities, as do fashion houses and airlines.
As a beginning, the vast spreading of fast foods restaurants comes as a natural outcome of the definition of globalization and deepening of its concepts, based on free movement of capital, information, technology and human resources without there being any restrictions or limitations to stand before such freedom. Nevertheless, some components of this definition are easier when flowing from one another. Information can be the easiest, fastest and more abundant due to the great progress in the technology of communication and information. After this, goods and services come as a result of developed emancipation of international trade, which was accompanied by financial emancipation and informational disclosure. This made it possible for many specialized international companies in the industry of fast food to come out of the local frame to work in international setting, which required continuous analysis and adequate dealing with international marketing environment, something that contributed to highlighting various concepts, including that of international customer, as a new marketing opportunity. The general trend in developing market inclined towards more attachment to customers and the products they ask for or are interested in, away from stereotypy or regularity, as well as the necessity of forming awareness about the importance of locality in dealing with markets and customers, considering that they are the main source of new ideas and ways; in order to enhance the capability of institutions at the international level.
The success of fast food companies in work, either at the local or international market, depends on their ability to adapt to environment factors, which affect their survival and continuity as a continuous business. Marketing environment forces do not only affect the decisions to enter foreign markets, but they also have an impact on the decisions of how to serve these markets, through developing the appropriate marketing policies and strategies. This requires that marketing managers realize the discrepancy between local and international marketing, in addition to the necessity of accurate and clear understanding of the variables of international marketing environment; so that the decision to enter international markets can be more efficient and effective. And so, marketing managers will have an international perspective and dimension towards the world, considering that it becomes parts or sections for one market, market evaluation or targeted markets, as well parts of the market. This helps:
