Paddy Power Case Study Essay Example for Free

Paddy Power Case Study Essay Alina Wheeler defined branding as a disciplined process used to build awareness and extend customer loyalty (). Branding is about seizing every opportunity (), a desire to lead, outpace the competition and give employees the best tools to reach customers. Paddy Power has accomplished to adhere to all those principles, all through their accession to becoming the largest betting firm in Ireland. The company had to rebrand, to become a broader-based entertainment company and to this extend a number of changes took place to establish their new identity and service brand. The image of a fun, friendly and fair was promoted to differentiate them from the competition and they made changes in their structure to facilitate each one of those elements. Making it fun entailed broadening the appeal of betting, bets on celebrities, elections, stocks, and anything people where interested in became available. They enhanced the customer’s experience with bigger brighter and better designed outlets, audio and video equipment and interaction terminals. They invested in training their staff to improve the customer’s experience and support their friendly image. They promoted their image of fairness through money back specials, putting emphasis on the circumstances rather than the rules. All those steps where aimed in enhancing the Paddy Power brand. Additionally by creating controversial advertisements and consistently denying to ‘playing by the rules’ they created a buzz around their brand, they became a topic of conversation and that led to enhanced brand recognition and awareness by the public. To demonstrate this we can consider the fact that the Paddy Power brand recognition in Ireland has now reached 90%. All those decisions changed the perception not only of the Paddy Power service brand but the perception of the betting industry. The closer we examine the company it becomes clear that they are determined to disassociate the brand from the ordinary, to create new rules instead of adhering to the existing ones, and this is what makes Paddy Power unique. When faced with restrictions on sponsorship they got a player to change his name to Paddy Power by deed poll, when their outdoor campaign of the Last Supper was deemed offensive and had to be removed they instead covered the poster with a sticker that read â€Å" There’s a place for fun and games. Apparently this is not it†. The company has also capitilised on opportunities to connect with different segments of the market. The launch of websites such paddypowerbingo.com directed at the female customer is an example of this. What is so unique about this approach is that the combination of fun, fair and friendly has set the company apart from the competition. The element of differentiation is really strong in the brand as no other betting firm approaches the market the same way. Paddy Power established their service brand by changing their image, coming closer to the consumer and by cutting through the proliferation of choices as in the mind of the consumer they became synonymous with providing an exceptional service, in every way.