MTV Brand Equity
...was 47 with an estimated brand value of $6.0 billion dollars. To appreciate and hopefully replicate this phenomenal success we will first examine the initial sources of brand equity for MTV and then examine how MTV continues to grow the brand equity today. 1980’s Establishing Brand Equity • MTV used these elements to deftly construct the building blocks of a brand (Identity, Meaning, Response, Relationships. MTV had to focus on awareness first to get the name and the brand out to as many consumers as possible in the shortest time span to get a first mover advantage. MTV capitalized on its first mover advantage in the world of music videos to be THE Music Video channel, and also establish itself as a must have cable channel. Say the words “Music video” to a consumer in 1983 and the respondent would more than likely have MTV at the top of his mind. Say the words cable channel to a 15 year old in 1983 and the MTV response was almost guaranteed. MTV was the water cooler brand for Generation X. It gave them a brand they could identify with for free, and satisfied the social needs and esteems needs of this group as well. Finally someone had recognized this group of consumers and marketed and developed a product exclusively for them. The brand resonance during this time might have been at its strongest. In the 1960’s young people protested against the war, in the 1980’s young people protested when their cable provider pulled MTV off the air. 2000 and Beyond: Maintaining Brand Equity In order to continue to build upon and maintain strong brand equity MTV now must continually reinvent itself. With music as a cultural theme and barometer, MTV is now the definitive youth culture network. MTV has continued to flourish in spite of broader competition from more channels, and more entertainment avenues such as video games and the internet. MTV will always be about what is h...