Brand Management: Strategies, Theories, and Evaluation

This report provides an in-depth understanding of brand management, including its significance as a marketing device and its development in business practice. It explores the key constituents of a positive brand strategy and examines how brands are organized in portfolios. The report also analyzes brand hierarchies and brand equity management. Additionally, it evaluates the leveraging and extension of brands domestically and internationally. Various techniques in brand management are critically evaluated.

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Unit 41: Brand Management
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................................3
Task 1: Establish an understanding of how a brand is constructed and accomplished over time.4
P1: Describe the significance of branding as a marketing device and why and how it has
developed in business practice...........................................................................................................4
P2: Examine the key constituents of a positive brand strategy for building and handling brand
equity......................................................................................................................................................4
M1: Assess how brands are managed positively over time using the presentation of
appropriate theories, concepts, and models.....................................................................................5
M2: Apply suitable and authenticated examples within an organizational context......................6
D1: Provide an acute evaluation that is reinforced by justified proof demonstrating a complete
understanding of branding within an organizational context...........................................................7
Task 2: Analyze how brands are organized in portfolios; how brand hierarchies are built and
managed....................................................................................................................................................7
P3: Analyze different strategies of portfolio management, brand hierarchy, and brand equity
management..........................................................................................................................................7
M3: Critically analyze portfolio management, brand hierarchies and brand equity using
appropriate theories, frameworks, and models.................................................................................8
Task 3 Evaluation of Leveraging/Extension of Brand Domestically and Internationally by Time. .9
P4 Performance of Brand Management in Partnership and Collaboratively at Global and
Domestic Circumstances.....................................................................................................................9
M4 Critical Evaluation of Diverse Techniques Usage in Leverage and Extended Brands.......10
Task 4 Evaluation of Techniques in Usage of Measurement and Management of Brand Value.12
P5 Evaluation of Diverse Techniques in Usage of Measurement and Management of Brand
Value.....................................................................................................................................................12
M5 Critical Evaluation of Applying Techniques in Usage of Measurement and Management of
Brand Value in Development of an Enduring and Strong Brand..................................................13
D1 Critical Evaluation in Support of Justified Evidences Demonstrating a Comprehensive
Understanding of Branding within an Organizational Context......................................................14
Conclusion...............................................................................................................................................16
References..............................................................................................................................................17
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Introduction
The report is based on the brand management of a selected organization and it is an
informal business report. The organization selected here is ASDA, which is an UK-
based supermarket organization. Headquarter is located in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The
company was founded in the year 1949 with the associated dairies companies of
Yorkshire. Brand management is significant to uplift the sales value and market share of
an organization. Therefore, a detailed explanation of brand management and its
theories and models are applied in this report over ASDA. The report is divided into four
task and each of the tasks has its own functional values. Brand management is an
ongoing procedure that includes consistency and maintaining around someone’s brand
and delivering on the values the company holds dear for forging a positive relationship
with the customers. ASDA can have a strong customer recognition system with the help
of brand management. Besides that, brand management will help ASDA to bring a
competitive edge in the modern market. As a result, the shared values and customer
loyalty of the company will increase accordingly. Thus, brand management is significant
for ASDA to increase credibility as well as ease of purchase.
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Task 1: Establish an understanding of how a brand is constructed and
accomplished over time
P1: Describe the significance of branding as a marketing device and why and how
it has developed in business practice.
Branding is a marketing tool which helps the organizations to select their target markets
and customers and brings competitive advantages. Branding also helps in delivering a
clear message about the confirmation of the organization's credibility in the modern
marketplace (GRZESIAK, 2015). Moreover, it emotionally connects the target prospects
of the organization with their services and products. It also creates the magic bullet of
user loyalty and motivates the customers to make a purchase. In short, branding is a
problem solver for companies like ASDA. In many businesses, branding has helped the
entrepreneurs to develop a strategic marketing plan and understand the purpose of their
key objectives. It also enables the entrepreneurs to align a marketing plan with those
purposes and fulfil the predominant strategy. However, a strong brand makes the
company easy to introduce exclusive and new products and services in the targeted
market (Riley, 2016).
P2: Examine the key constituents of a positive brand strategy for building and
handling brand equity.
The key constituents of a positive brand strategy for building and handling brand equity
are described below:
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Brand Loyalty: It defines the level of customer attachment to a particular brand when a
company is facing a competitive heat in terms of repetitive purchase, quality, and price.
Therefore, price reduction in products can bring new customers.
Brand Awareness: The objective of brand awareness is to establish awareness among
the customers about the details of the brand. It creates a signalling commitment which
makes a company's brand worthy from the customer's perspective (Leijerholt, Chapleo
and O’Sullivan, 2018).
Perceived quality of Brand: It contributes to sustainable brand equity and building trust
among the customers. The customers find a reason to buy the brand.
Brand Association: A brand association can be formed on customers contact with the
company and its workers, advertisement, words of mouth publicity and the quality of the
product. A positive brand association can be formed if the product which the brand
portrays is desirable, durable and marketable.
Proprietary Assets: These characteristics add to the competitive advantage of a
company's brand and the protection of the brand from competition over time. It includes
intellectual properties, established relationships, trademarks, and patents (CAKMAK,
2016).
M1: Assess how brands are managed positively over time using the presentation
of appropriate theories, concepts, and models.
Application of Keller's Brand Equity Model
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Unit 41: Brand Management
This model has four levels which are described below:
Identity: At first, the brand needs to be figured out and the company should provide the
customers about the details of the brand. People need to be aware of the brand (Ali,
2018). The customers want to see the identity of a brand that whether the brand is
premium or luxury.
Meaning: With a universal identity sorted in place, the following step is to carve out a
meaning for an organization’s brand that will initiate to develop loyalty within the
customers. Brand meaning is profitable to go beyond products quality the company
offer.
Response: After the purchase of a brand from the customer’s side, the customer will
give a feedback about the quality of the products and services (Yousaf, Amin and
Gupta, 2017). Here, the responsibility of the company is to keep up the reputation of the
brand image.
Relationships: It lies at the top of this brand pyramid and it is concerned with the
concept of quality of products and services.
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Unit 41: Brand Management
M2: Apply suitable and authenticated examples within an organizational context.
Suppose ASDA has launched their new clothes and in order to spread brand
awareness, the company needs to follow Keller's Brand Equity Model. At first, the
organization needs to target their customers and accordingly they need to make a brand
identity among the customers or else the customers will not know about the details of
the clothing brand (Foroudi, 2017). The company needs to manufacture the products
with high-quality cotton, fibres or silk to bring a trust in customers that their products will
be worthy of purchasing. ASDA needs to make a brand statement. For example, Nike
has a brand statement like ‘Just Do It’. It will be a signature line by which the targeted
audience will easily recognize. Another example of a brand statement is Apple's ‘Think
Different'. The organization must outline the key qualities which will be beneficial for the
survival of the brand.
D1: Provide an acute evaluation that is reinforced by justified proof
demonstrating a complete understanding of branding within an organizational
context.
The role of marketing in building brand positioning and brand equity: In modern
marketing system, the marketers or ASDA needs to make a flexible communication with
the customers by means of internet. Today, customers are more interested to buy
products online. Digitally, the marketers need to develop brand logos and images along
with the list of product categories so that customers find easy to navigate and purchase
the products. The marketers of ASDA needs to fathom the current state of their brand
awareness as well as the brand image within the minds of the customer. After that, they
need to ask the feedback questions.
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Task 2: Analyze how brands are organized in portfolios; how brand hierarchies
are built and managed
P3: Analyze different strategies of portfolio management, brand hierarchy, and
brand equity management.
Portfolio management strategies
(a) Efficient market hypothesis: This hypothesis is based on the fact that the data that
distresses the markets is directly accessible. Moreover, it is processed by all the
investors. The managers related to portfolio management strongly believes that market
averages cannot be crushed reliably (Janiszewska and Insch, 2016).
(b) Indexing: With the help of this theory, managers make use of index funds. These
funds are useful to take the benefits of the efficient market hypothesis.
(c) Brand hierarchy strategies: This branding strategy consists of the corporate brand,
family brand, modifiers, and individual brand. With the help of corporate branding,
ASDA can practice marketing by using their company's name as a product brand name.
(d) Brand equity management strategies: Brand equity management is also useful to
improve online brand communication (Baitinger and Papenbrock, 2017). ASDA must be
genuine with their products and provide relevant content in the website. Moreover, they
must maintain a lively social presence and progress customer profiles.
M3: Critically analyze portfolio management, brand hierarchies and brand equity
using appropriate theories, frameworks, and models.
Markowitz Portfolio Theory
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Unit 41: Brand Management
This theory was developed by Harry Markowitz and it includes ROI or Return on
Investment. The theory also consists of the level of risks for a specific return. He
developed this theory on the basis of investment behaviour of an individual. The theory
states that an investor will select the investment the lowest quantity of risk provided that
the individual will get the same level of predictable return. Besides that, the investors
who will apply this theory measures risk regarding standard deviation and investment’s
variance. For each of the investment, the investor can enumerate the predictable return
as well as the probability of those returns over a specified time interval (Pfiffelmann,
Roger and Bourachnikova, 2016).
Maslow Hierarchy Theory
The theory was proposed by Abraham Maslow which extends the concept to
incorporate his observations of humans’ innate inquisitiveness. There are many theories
which were written at the same time. All of those describe the development of human
psychology. The different stages of growing the psychology are mainly described in the
theories. The terms like ‘physiological', 'esteem', 'safety', ‘belonging and love' and ‘self-
actualization' are used by Maslow. These terms mainly describe the pattern of
movement of human motivation. This clearly states that in the case of motivation every
single level must have occurred in order to reach the topmost and final level. Moreover,
this theory says about the drive and motivation and the relation among them while
discussing human behaviour. In this whole scenario, Maslow mainly focuses to reach
the ultimate level of the hierarchy that is the Self-actualization. So these are the few
facts those are described in the theory.
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Task 3 Evaluation of Leveraging/Extension of Brand Domestically and
Internationally by Time
P4 Performance of Brand Management in Partnership and Collaboratively at
Global and Domestic Circumstances
In the case of the performance of the brand, here ASDA, there are certain agreements
to be noted. By evaluating specific agreements, brand management in a diverse
situation can be explained. ASDA has made a partnership with Azadea Group in
Lebanon, which reflects the global appearance of the company. Along with that, in the
UK it has been performing with Remploy that shows the domestic appearances of the
company. Now the agreements will conclude that how ASDA holds its performance by
attempting in diverse ways (Oh, 2015).
Services linked to brand along with development in marketing: In case of collaboration
with customers, this agreement will be followed. The agreement reflects the link with the
customers by linking with provision, creation, placing and planning the brand
management. The brand management of ASDA may be influenced after attempting this
kind of collaboration and partnership with the customers.
Materials approved by the clients: The agreement also used to make a deal among the
customers and ASDA regarding the quality of the material. Therefore the approvals of
customers are thoroughly needed during the time of this agreement (Ayers, and
Odegaard, 2017).
M4: Critical Evaluation of Diverse Techniques Usage in Leverage and Extended
Brands
Critical Evaluation of Brand Strength that can be leveraged
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Unit 41: Brand Management
There are different techniques those can be used in leveraging while there is the brand
power of ASDA. To make an entry in new production in the market the company has to
have a strong brand potential as well as portfolio. ASDA is already established in the
market so that the brand can be leveraged. Now the company has strong potential that
is why it can launch different other products under the existing industry (Haven-Tang,
and Sedgley, 2014). As it is previously mentioned that ASDA has a strong
communication in the market of grocery so that it can further communicate with new
target customer eventually.
Weaknesses those need Attention along with suggestions
There are competitive other companies which can be reflected as threats to ASDA. A
company such as Tesco has a strong brand image that can be competitive with the
company. So ASDA needs to aware of this certain threat and needs to enhance its
capabilities internally as well as in the external environment. There can be other
vulnerability issues just as if the new business starts performing vastly. The core
business of groceries may face a lack of attention (Christopher, 2016).
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Task 4 Evaluation of Techniques in Usage of Measurement and Management of
Brand Value
P5 Evaluation of Diverse Techniques in Usage of Measurement and Management
of Brand Value
Various techniques are there which help to measure and manage the brand value. The
techniques are discussed below.
Brand awareness: The customers must be aware of the product that is being offered by
the company. By continuous promotion and advertisement, the brand can leave a
footmark on the mind of the customers. ASDA has a reputation already but there are
some specific methods through which the company can increase brand awareness
(Schivinski, and Dabrowski, 2015).
 Web traffic
 Promotion at social platforms
 Surveys
 Focus group
Preference metrics: The company needs to know the preference of the customer. In this
way, ASDA can be able to provide the accurate product to them. By sales data and
surveys, the customer preference perception can be measured. Therefore brand
relevance reflects that how the company can provide unique products comparing to the
other brands under the same industrial roof. Accessibility is another unit of
measurement that shows how the company is able to reach the target market. Then
there comes the brand value that is how the customers are intended to pay for the
products of ASDA (Schivinski et al. 2016).
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Market share of the organization: This measurement also reflects how the share units
are performing in the market of the mentioned company. ASDA has some huge
stakeholders group. How these shareholders are performing for the sake of the
increased profitability will measure the value of the brand.
M5 Critical Evaluation of Applying Techniques in Usage of Measurement and
Management of Brand Value in Development of an Enduring and Strong Brand
As the above techniques are used to perform the increment of the company that will be
reflected in this phase of the study.
Brand awareness of ASDA will be seen where the competition is drawn among the
other competitors in the market. The company needs to evaluate its strengths so that
they can evaluate their unique factors in the case of the production. The continuous
promotion and advertisements portray that ASDA has huge brand awareness from the
aspects of the customers. There are certain loyal customers who are willing to make
higher payment because they know about the product quality and value of ASDA
(Epstein, 2018). In the UK, Tesco has a huge range of customer but the competition of
ASDA is also established as well. Then there come preference metrics, which seems to
be like ASDA has demonstrated various aspects of customer preferences so that the
company knows what are the demands, needs and wants of the customers. The
customers want are nothing but fresh products, needs are well-packaged products and
demand is customer friendly environment at the market. The customer preferences and
awareness on that help the organization to be unique in a highly competitive market
(Gensler et al. 2015).
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Unit 41: Brand Management
D1 Critical Evaluation in Support of Justified Evidences Demonstrating a
Comprehensive Understanding of Branding within an Organizational Context
To make a critical evaluation in support of justified pieces of evidence, following surveys
have taken place. These surveys are performed towards the customers so that they can
be active participants of this one.
1. About the brand of ASDA, when did you first come to know?
Option Responses Total Responses Percentage
In last two
months
6 10 60%
In last five
months
4 10 40%
Since the last
year
5 10 50%
Never heard of
the brand
2 10 20%
2. How often do you get familiar with the ASDA?
Option Responses Total Responses Percentage
Very much
familiar
6 10 60%
Familiar 4 10 40%
Never heard at all 2 10 20%
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Unit 41: Brand Management
3. In last 5 months how frequently did you hear about ASDA?
Option Responses Total Responses Percentage
Newspaper 4 10 40%
Social sites 7 10 70%
Internet 4 10 40%
Never know 1 10 10%
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Conclusion
The above study has been performed with proper evaluation and discussion over the
context of brand management. The report has shown that the brand ASDA is a reputed
organization that provides groceries in the UK market. Now the company has a brand
image and brand value those have been measured with evaluative assessments. The
continuous promotion and advertisements portray that ASDA has huge brand
awareness from the aspects of the customers. The accomplishment and the
construction of the brand have been portrayed. The building of brand strategy and
handling of brand equity have been established eventually in the study. Suitable and
proper organizational examples are given those enhance the brand value and brand
image as well. Further, the strength of the brand has been identified and the leverage
through it has also been explained. Critical analysis of measurement and management
of brand value have been jolted down with specific practical attempts.
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Unit 41: Brand Management
References
Ali, U. (2018). Impact of Brand Awareness and Brand Innovativeness on Brand
Loyalty. Journal of Policy and Development Studies, 11(4), pp.56-62.
Baitinger, E. and Papenbrock, J. (2017). Interconnectedness risk and active portfolio
management. The Journal of Investment Strategies.
CAKMAK, I. (2016). The role of brand awareness on brand image, perceived quality
and effect on risk in create brand trust. New Trends and Issues Proceedings on
Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(2), pp.177-186.
Foroudi, P. (2017). Influence of brand signature, brand awareness, brand attitude,
brand reputation on hotel industry’s brand performance. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 76, pp.271-285.
GRZESIAK, M. (2015). E-BRANDING vs. TRADITIONAL BRANDING. Modern
Management Review.
Janiszewska, K. and Insch, A. (2016). The Strategic Importance of Brand Positioning in
the Place Brand Concept – Elements, Structure and Application of the Positioning
Statement. JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, 5(1), pp.9-19.
Leijerholt, U., Chapleo, C. and O’Sullivan, H. (2018). A brand within a brand: an
integrated understanding of internal brand management and brand architecture in the
public sector. Journal of Brand Management.
Pfiffelmann, M., Roger, T. and Bourachnikova, O. (2016). When Behavioural Portfolio
Theory meets Markowitz theory. Economic Modelling, 53, pp.419-435.
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Unit 41: Brand Management
Riley, F. (2016). Brand management. Los Angeles [etc.]: SAGE.
Yousaf, A., Amin, I. and Gupta, A. (2017). Conceptualising tourist based brand-equity
pyramid: an application of Keller brand pyramid model to destinations. Tourism and
hospitality management, 23(1), pp.119-137.
Ayers, J.B. and Odegaard, M.A., 2017. Retail supply chain management. CRC Press.
Oh, H.M., 2015. Brand Partnership-Driven Positional Advantage. 대 대 대 대 대 대 대 , 28(1),
pp.305-325.
Haven-Tang, C. and Sedgley, D., 2014. Partnership working in enhancing the
destination brand of rural areas: A case study of Made in Monmouthshire, Wales,
UK. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 3(1), pp.59-67.
Christopher, M., 2016. Logistics & supply chain management. Pearson UK.
Schivinski, B. and Dabrowski, D., 2015. The impact of brand communication on brand
equity through Facebook. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 9(1), pp.31-53.
Schivinski, B., Christodoulides, G. and Dabrowski, D., 2016. Measuring consumers'
engagement with brand-related social-media content: Development and validation of a
scale that identifies levels of social-media engagement with brands. Journal of
Advertising Research, 56(1), pp.64-80.
Epstein, M.J., 2018. Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing and
measuring corporate social, environmental and economic impacts. Routledge.
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Gensler, S., Völckner, F., Egger, M., Fischbach, K. and Schoder, D., 2015. Listen to
your customers: Insights into brand image using online consumer-generated product
reviews. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 20(1), pp.112-141.
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