How to Build a Trustworthy Brand Image with Mental Maps and Competitive Analysis

Branding Purpose

The ultimate goal of branding is to convey, create, and enhance a product’s value, satisfy consumer needs, maximize profit, and differentiate the product; the brand image is the consumer’s perception, stored as memory nodes (brand associations).

Target Users

Identifying target users is crucial because different users have distinct brand knowledge structures, perceptions, and preferences. User personas can be created to explore typical users and study their characteristics.

Competitive Reference Framework

Choosing a target audience also defines the nature of competition, as other companies may target the same group. Competitive analysis should avoid being too narrow; competition occurs at both attribute and benefit levels (e.g., luxury goods compete with furniture and travel). In analyzing NetEase precious metals, both similar and dissimilar competitors, as well as news and luxury categories, were examined.

Mental Map

A mental map visualizes the different categories of associations in a user’s mind about a brand, helping to uncover core brand association words and ultimately derive the brand’s core.

Example: McDonald’s mental map shows associations such as yellow, children‑friendly, Ronald the clown, convenience, etc.

Core Brand Associations

Core brand associations are a subset of descriptors that best capture a brand’s attributes and benefits, encompassing both emotional and functional descriptions.

Brand Mantra

The brand mantra is a concise statement of three to five short words that encapsulate the brand’s essential idea, spirit, and value. It can be broken down into three types of modifiers:

Emotional modifier

Descriptive modifier

Brand functions

Brand Elements

After establishing brand positioning, the next step is to select brand elements such as name, logo, slogan, brand colors, etc., to reinforce brand recognition and create strong, unique associations.

Principles for choosing brand elements:

Memorability: Elements should be easy to recall and recognize.

Meaningfulness: Elements should convey information about the product or target audience.

Appeal: Even without the product, elements should be visually rich and enjoyable.

Example: Airbnb’s logo illustrates these principles.

Application to NetEase Precious Metals

Using the described method, a mental map for NetEase Precious Metals was created, outlining services, conveyed ideas, and user perceptions, leading to the extraction of core brand association words.

The brand core was defined as “deep, efficient, trustworthy,” and UI design principles and operational design specifications were established to emphasize these values through color, graphics, and layout.

Conclusion

By following this systematic approach—defining target users, analyzing competition, mapping mental associations, and selecting memorable brand elements—organizations can build a rational, evidence‑based, and trustworthy brand image.