Services Branding: Analysis of Brand Names and Symbols in Insurance Brand Building in Croatia and Slovenia

Abstract

This paper expands the understanding of a complex area of service brand management. Since the specific nature of services makes it difficult to objectively judge a service prior to its consumption, decisions and the selection of a service brand can be critical for a marketing strategy. Strong service brands possess: distinctiveness, relevance, memorability and flexibility. Elements of a strong service brand (name, logo, symbol, character and slogan) identify the brand and differentiate the service from its competitors. Research was conducted into the appropriateness of brands within Croatian and Slovenian insurance services sectors. Elements of the 45 insurance service brands (27 Croatian and 18 Slovenian) are analyzed in this paper and evaluated in terms of how and if they meet the criteria of a strong service brand, as well as in terms of their appropriateness for creating desirable, positive and unique associations.