(1) What is brand management?
Business dictionary (2018) defines brand management as the process of maintaining, improving and and upholding a brand, so that the name is associated with positive results.
The definition of the brand management can alternatively be derived from the definitions for both terms: a brand and management.
A brand as defined by Keller (2013) is a "name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition."
*Keller, K. 2013. Strategic Brand management. 4th ed.
Management can be defined as a non-stop process of planning, organising, directing, controlling. Terry, G. (1953).
* Terry, G. 1953. Principles of Management.
Today, new approaches towards brand management are being developed. Instead of the term 'brand management', a new concept of 'Strategic brand management' was introduced by Keller, K. (2013). Strategic brand management is defined as a process that involves the design, implementation of marketing programs and activities to build, measure, and manage brand equity.
Strategic brand management has four main steps:
1. Identifying an developing brand plans.
2. Designing and implementing brand marketing programs.
3. Measuring and interpreting brand performance.
4. Growing and sustaining brand equity.
This strategic brand management concept determines the approach to brand management in many modern day organisations.
(2) What are the brand manager’s tasks and responsibilities?
The Branding Journal 2016 URL:
http://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2016/08/brand-manager-job-description-role/
https://www.robertwalters.com.br/en/career-advice/the-role-of-a-brand-manager.html
Some of the brand management roles can be:
1. Protecting the brand
Making sure the product offering is in-line with the current and potential customers' demands. Developing brand strategy, brand guidelines
2.Working with several departments within the company
Ensure the strategic overview of the business and future market opportunities. This includes assisting the product development, pricing and launching new products.
3. Coordinating several marketing agencies
Making sure that advertising agencies correctly communicate the brand purpose. Also, managing the budget fro advertising and promotional activities.
4. Focusing on the customer
Monitoring market trends. Competitor and customer insight analysis
5. Making important business decisions
Working with the senior management team to provide key data on brand activities and analysis.
(3) What are the steps in the brand definition process?
Ind, N. 2007. Living the brand. 3rd ed.
Nicholas Ind refers to defining a brand as a search for truth. According to him, a good brand definition should inspire people to discover new ways of doing things. Brand definition should be authentic and be a reflection of what people believe.
In order to define a brand, a brand definition process was designed.
1. First of all, the organisation's identity has to be understood. This can be done with the help of a research. A good research should include three main elements: Desk research, Employee research and external research.
Desk research is especially useful for big organisations with a long history. It includes looking through the documents and archives that have been collected through the years. These document can provide valuable information on what approach a company used to have in the past. This part of the research does not give any answers. It on the contrary poses questions on what is still relevant and why.
Employee research aims at uncovering the organisational values that matter the most to a company's employees. It can be done in the form of one0to-one interviews with the senior management or group discussions with stuff. During these discussions that can take up to two hours the following broad topics can be discussed:Understanding of the organisation's purpose and direction; Resources and tools to implement direction; Resources and skill gaps; Organisational values overall; Use of these values in day-to-day jobs; Quality of internal communications and any other issues that are considered to be relevant by the management.
2. Using the research
At this stage the mains output of the research have to to be decided. It can be done by a consultant or a researcher. However, in order to make this stage truly beneficial and participative. the right to choose should be given to as wide audience as possible. In order to this this, it is possible to ask people to volunteer to form a group of 5 to 20 people to discuss the research output. The group should be representative of the organisation and thus include people from all the different departments. The group can be provided with a structure that they have to work with during the discussion to make the exercise more productive.
3. Structuring the brand ideas
During this stage it is important to keep the structure as simple as possible. In order to make it understandable and meaningful, a good structure should reflect the following:
Alternatively an online chat or forum can be created where the topic is discussed. Afterwards, a moderator provides a report to alt he participants on what has been agreed.
To conclude, it is important to highlight that brand definition process should include the whole of the organisation and not only concentrate on the management's opinions. By doing so, a company will be able to create a meaningful brand definition that is understood by all.
(4) How does the brand manager work in cooperation with the company management, the employees and external consultants? (What are their roles?)
(5) Analyse the brand management of a chosen company.
Strong brand identity
Has a wide selection of brands that suit different consumers
Developed Public relations- sport sponsorship and sustainability support
Business dictionary (2018) defines brand management as the process of maintaining, improving and and upholding a brand, so that the name is associated with positive results.
The definition of the brand management can alternatively be derived from the definitions for both terms: a brand and management.
A brand as defined by Keller (2013) is a "name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition."
*Keller, K. 2013. Strategic Brand management. 4th ed.
Management can be defined as a non-stop process of planning, organising, directing, controlling. Terry, G. (1953).
* Terry, G. 1953. Principles of Management.
Today, new approaches towards brand management are being developed. Instead of the term 'brand management', a new concept of 'Strategic brand management' was introduced by Keller, K. (2013). Strategic brand management is defined as a process that involves the design, implementation of marketing programs and activities to build, measure, and manage brand equity.
Strategic brand management has four main steps:
1. Identifying an developing brand plans.
2. Designing and implementing brand marketing programs.
3. Measuring and interpreting brand performance.
4. Growing and sustaining brand equity.
This strategic brand management concept determines the approach to brand management in many modern day organisations.
(2) What are the brand manager’s tasks and responsibilities?
The Branding Journal 2016 URL:
http://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2016/08/brand-manager-job-description-role/
https://www.robertwalters.com.br/en/career-advice/the-role-of-a-brand-manager.html
Some of the brand management roles can be:
1. Protecting the brand
Making sure the product offering is in-line with the current and potential customers' demands. Developing brand strategy, brand guidelines
2.Working with several departments within the company
Ensure the strategic overview of the business and future market opportunities. This includes assisting the product development, pricing and launching new products.
3. Coordinating several marketing agencies
Making sure that advertising agencies correctly communicate the brand purpose. Also, managing the budget fro advertising and promotional activities.
4. Focusing on the customer
Monitoring market trends. Competitor and customer insight analysis
5. Making important business decisions
Working with the senior management team to provide key data on brand activities and analysis.
In addition to that, brand managers are expected to analyse and interpret market information, but their involvement in the development of forecasts and the estimation of future developments and prospects in the market is not big.
To summarise, we can see that all the tasks and responsibilities of brand managers' contribute to one important goal - building brand equity.
(3) What are the steps in the brand definition process?
Ind, N. 2007. Living the brand. 3rd ed.
Nicholas Ind refers to defining a brand as a search for truth. According to him, a good brand definition should inspire people to discover new ways of doing things. Brand definition should be authentic and be a reflection of what people believe.
In order to define a brand, a brand definition process was designed.
1. First of all, the organisation's identity has to be understood. This can be done with the help of a research. A good research should include three main elements: Desk research, Employee research and external research.
Desk research is especially useful for big organisations with a long history. It includes looking through the documents and archives that have been collected through the years. These document can provide valuable information on what approach a company used to have in the past. This part of the research does not give any answers. It on the contrary poses questions on what is still relevant and why.
Employee research aims at uncovering the organisational values that matter the most to a company's employees. It can be done in the form of one0to-one interviews with the senior management or group discussions with stuff. During these discussions that can take up to two hours the following broad topics can be discussed:Understanding of the organisation's purpose and direction; Resources and tools to implement direction; Resources and skill gaps; Organisational values overall; Use of these values in day-to-day jobs; Quality of internal communications and any other issues that are considered to be relevant by the management.
2. Using the research
At this stage the mains output of the research have to to be decided. It can be done by a consultant or a researcher. However, in order to make this stage truly beneficial and participative. the right to choose should be given to as wide audience as possible. In order to this this, it is possible to ask people to volunteer to form a group of 5 to 20 people to discuss the research output. The group should be representative of the organisation and thus include people from all the different departments. The group can be provided with a structure that they have to work with during the discussion to make the exercise more productive.
3. Structuring the brand ideas
During this stage it is important to keep the structure as simple as possible. In order to make it understandable and meaningful, a good structure should reflect the following:
- Be memorable
- Be true to the company
- Be all-encompassing (work for all parts of the organisation)
- Be reinforcing (reflect things that are fundamental to the success of a company)
- Be aspirational
- Be differentiating
4. Checking the words
After the initial brand definitions is agreed, it should be checked over. It can be done by sharing the outcome with the organisation and collecting feedback on the following questions:
- Does this proposal captures the essence of our organisation?
- Is this brand meaningful to you?
- What impact would this have on your work?
Alternatively an online chat or forum can be created where the topic is discussed. Afterwards, a moderator provides a report to alt he participants on what has been agreed.
To conclude, it is important to highlight that brand definition process should include the whole of the organisation and not only concentrate on the management's opinions. By doing so, a company will be able to create a meaningful brand definition that is understood by all.
(4) How does the brand manager work in cooperation with the company management, the employees and external consultants? (What are their roles?)
(5) Analyse the brand management of a chosen company.
Strong brand identity
Has a wide selection of brands that suit different consumers
Developed Public relations- sport sponsorship and sustainability support
Comments
Post a Comment