Organization Reputations

The past two summers I have interned at an auto parts manufacturer, and last summer I dealt specifically with marketing and branding. The company is split into both an OE division (off the line parts for automobiles) and an aftermarket division, which is responsible for replacement parts when the originals fail (think body shop work). The company frequently does not use its corporate name on the products it distributes, and instead after acquiring various smaller parts companies over the years has left their names on the products sold. This is because there was credibility and brand recognition in the labels prior to takeover and in order to maintain both the old company’s reputation and carry over the old customers. Each auto segment has its own brand recognition with the market, with different brands representing engine parts, windshield wipers, brake pads, gaskets, or other component parts. I believe this to be a good tactic in this industry in which being from a monopolistic company is viewed in a negative light. If I’m not mistaken, it’s very similar to the model used for branding by car companies. There are different brands which are associated to different price ranges, or customer groups. There is also name variation depending on the location of the product distribution center, as in if the product is being sold in Germany, the brand name used will be a German name, same thing in other regions of Europe and in the Asian countries.

The specific manufacturing plant I worked for had a reputation for having the widest product range as well as being most well-made product within its specific market. It also has longevity on its side, as in the last year it just celebrated its 95^th anniversary, meaning that as long as car parts have been needed, the company has existed. A new fad with branding that I have observed is a consumer desire for “Made in America” products which was also something my company was well known for. The corporation as a whole is interesting because its image in corporate world is entirely different than the image it paints for itself when branding and marketing to the buyer. I believe this stems from a general dissatisfaction with corporate America and the way large companies are run, so at this point when selling a product to buyers, the smaller you seem the better. Smaller businesses don’t typically have the negative reputation of being profit hungry and ruthless that large corporations do. So in that respect, branding, and the size of the brand have a direct tie to reputation. While this was something I witnessed first-hand on the business side over the summer, it’s something that is all over the current business world. Most consumers aren’t even aware of the networks the products they buy, just because the influence of branding, and specific reputations based on brand have become so strong.

I am attaching an image from (http://www.policymic.com/articles/71255/10-corporations-control-almost-everything-you-buy-this-chart-shows-how) that really opened my eyes to what the corporate segment likes to hide from consumers, and when I first saw it I was truly astonished.