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eGUIDE 1 Contents
Defining brands > Using this guide
eGUIDE 2
> Introduction
Types of brands
eGUIDE 3 > Why managaing a brand portfolio is
important
How brands work
eGUIDE 4 > Brand architecture
Brand strategy
> Brand relationships within a portfolio
eGUIDE 5
Managing and > Characteristics of the ideal brand portfolio
developing brands
> Major mistakes in portfolio management
eGUIDE 6
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>Checklist
Points to a summary page.
>Resources
Links through to the online Brand Store
section where you will find further resources
on the topic being discussed.
>FAQs
Gives answers to frequently asked questions.
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Introduction
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Why managing a brand portfolio is brands but also be cost efficient by creating
Looking at brands as important economies of scale in both manufacturing and
stand-alone silos is a communications. Looking at brands as stand-
recipe for confusion and “Lack of focus means that energy and alone silos is a recipe for confusion and
resources are dissipated. Focus, in contrast, inefficiency. Are there too many or too few
inefficiency. ensures that people and resources are
brands? Could some be consolidated,
concentrated where they can add greatest eliminated or sold?
value.” [Fitzgerald, 2001]
Growth
Portfolio management will influence the
following areas: Davidson [August 2002 a] identifies six ways
in which portfolio management enhances
Resource growth:
Resources such as R&D and marketing spend > Clear prioritisation of future focus by major
need to be allocated to areas of best return. market
Each brand requires brand-building resources.
Without a clear picture of the portfolio, it will > Prioritisation by brand and product
be harder to identify how best to support the
brands that will bring the best returns. If each > Concentration of spend on priority market,
brand is funded solely according to its profit brands and products
contribution, high-potential brands with
modest current sales could be starved of > Operational cost savings through simplified
resources. business
Create synergy with your brand portfolio – > Gap filling by product development and
strong associations can not only benefit all the acquisition.
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Leverage your brand equity. Leveraging brands Brand architecture is the way in which the
A proper portfolio makes them work harder. A proper portfolio brands within a company’s portfolio are related
analysis can highlight analysis can highlight which brands are best to, and differentiated from, one another. The
which brands are best suited to extension, for instance. The more architecture should define the different leagues
effective and powerful your brands, the of branding within the organisation; how the
suited to extension. corporate brand and sub-brands relate to and
stronger your leverage and the bottom line.
support each other; and how the sub-brands
Clarity reflect or reinforce the core purpose of the
corporate brand to which they belong. [Bennie,
Clarity of product offerings will underpin a 2000] The following model (Figure 6.1),
consistent brand identity with all the proposed by Aaker, maps out the different
stakeholders. elements of a brand architecture.
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Brand portfolio
Source: Aaker, D. and Joachimsthaler, E. (2001) Brand Leadership, pp.134-153. London, The Free Press.
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Same Different Master Brand Co-Drivers Strong Linked Token Shadow Not
Identity Identity as Driver Endorsement Name Endorsement Endorser Connected
BMW GE Capital Buick Gillette Courtyard DKNY Grape Nuts Tide Hotpoint
GE Appliance LeSabre Sensor by Marriott (Post) (P&G) (GE)
Healthy Club Med HP DeskJet Sony Obsession McMuffin Universal Lexus Pantene
Choice Singles versus Trinitron by Pictures (Toyota) (P&G)
Couples Calviin Klein (Sony)
Source: Aaker, D. and Joachimstaler, E. (2000) Brand Leadership, p.105. London, The Free Press.
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[Davidson, 1997]
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33 5 Competitive intensity 10
6 Failure risk 6
7 Opportunity to differentiate 10
CHARGE
Low OR EXIT EXIT 8 Segmentation 9
SELL 9 Retail structure 12
Total 100
0
Source: Davidson, H. (2002 b) Accenture presentation. Source: Davidson, H. (1997) Even More Offensive Marketing.
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Checklist
Have you:
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CASE STUDIES
1. Allied Domecq: ideal brands
2. The Japanese giants: corporate branding
3. Unilever: portfolio management
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One reason for this is that frequent purchasing Following the difficulties in the Japanese
and ever shifting trends in Japanese society domestic economy in the 1990’s, however,
have shortened the average life cycle of a practices are beginning to change in Japan. As
product as new fads and ever increasing bench the economy slowed, so businesses found
marks have resulted in businesses having a themselves able to spend less on product
necessity for quick model change and new innovation and instead concentrated on
products simply to maintain momentum. This sustaining and promoting established products.
quick turnover means that, often, a line will Japanese corporations are increasingly taking
not be in existence long enough to develop a on a more Western attitude of creating brands
brand identity of its own and so by attaching a for individual lines as the product and the
well known corporate brand, instant kudos is corporate brand are separated. The Playstation
added. Examples of this include Sony whose 2 is an excellent example; the Sony name is
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Results to date > Brand sales level, trend, and market share.
For example in the USA, Unilever selected
By 2001, the 400 leading brands accounted for five ‘Powerhouse’ brands with sales between
84% of sales and are expected to account for $300million and $2 billion; and five ‘jewel’
95% in 2004. Growth of leading brands in brands with sales over $150million for
2001 was 5.3% and operating margin, at investment focus.
13.9%, was a record. Since the inception of
Path to Growth, 59 plants have been closed > Brand profitability and responsiveness to
and global purchasing savings amount to $1.1 marketing spending.
billion.
> Brand differentiation and avoidance of
Unilever has sold some brands like Elizabeth overlap with other company brands.
Arden, Bestfoods Baking Company and
Unipath and merged (Radion merged with > Brand extendibility. Can its franchise be
Surf) or discontinued (eg Lux Flakes) others. extended into other priority segment or
countries?
Criteria for selecting leading brands
Comment
Unilever’s exact criteria for selecting 400
leading brands from 1400, and the priorities Unilever has made a good start with its
within the 400, are unknown. However typical ambitious Portfolio Management Programme,
criteria would include: but still has some way to go.
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