Brand Management Strategies and Techniques

This assignment delves into the intricacies of brand management, covering topics like brand building, brand equity, brand portfolios, brand hierarchies, brand leveraging, and brand value measurement. Real-world examples from companies like Apple and Oracle are used to illustrate various brand management strategies and techniques.

Brand Management

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Section 1..........................................................................................................................................4
LO1..................................................................................................................................................4
Section 2..........................................................................................................................................8
LO2..................................................................................................................................................8
LO3..................................................................................................................................................8
LO4..................................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................16
Reference List................................................................................................................................17

Introduction
Brand management is the planning and analysis about how a particular brand is perceived in a
particular market. The function of brand management is related to marketing techniques which
increases the brand value of a particular product line over the time. Developing effective brand
management strategy can maintain the brand equity of a company and develop good relations
with the target market. The main objective of branding is to convey the specific brand message
to persuade the customer and create loyalty for a product. The management of different business
organization focus on developing the brand identity of the organization by researching about the
latest market trends, customer preference and the level of customer satisfaction. In this
assignment, the idea of brand management and its various aspects have been discussed. There are
different tools and methods that are used by the business organizations in order to manage their
brand portfolio and spread awareness about their brands. These aspects would also be discussed
in this assignment in order have better understanding about brand management.

Section 1
LO1: Demonstrate an understanding of how a brand is built and managed over time.
Introduction
In the present age, creating a brand is of prime importance for business organisations. Brands are
a mix of science and psychology, which is represented by the symbol, design, term and name of
the company, for distinguishing it from other organisations and increasing awareness among
consumers. Brands are renowned for providing long-term success to business organisations as
compared to products and services, which run on life cycles. The focus of this report is on
answering various questions about brands and their importance to Ed Sheeran, who is a
renowned singer and is aiming to launch a range of musical instruments.
What is a brand?
Brands are those things that represent the company’s face in different forms, which can be the
mark, slogan or logo, which the consumers associate with the company (Keller et al., 2011).
Since brands attract attention and make the products provided by a company to stand out from
myriad other products being sold, business organisations consider branding as a constituent of
marketing process. A company can create a brand by using the business objectives to create a
market plan along with creating tangible aspects like the logo, website and tagline of the
company.
Consumers emotionally connect to the company because of their brands, which not only results
in increased sales, but also builds customer loyalty. A company can identify the loyalty level of
consumers by using the brand pyramid that comprises of five stages, and use it for creating
marketing strategies to increase customer loyalty.

Figure 1: The brand pyramid
(Source: Kapferer, 2012)
Why is branding considered as an important tool for marketing?
Due to the valuable nature of brands and its role in increasing customer loyalty and market share,
having a brand is crucial for companies. Other important factors of brands are:
 Handling products become simple
 The maker can be identified easily
 The products being manufactured get legal protection
 Price premium can be secured
 New companies cannot enter easily
 Advantage over competitors is gained
 The quality of manufactured products is established
Additionally, having a brand also attracts talented individuals and turns them into loyal
employees, because they can relate to the company and understand its purpose.
What is the meaning of brand equity?

Value addition done to the services and products being manufactured by a company is referred to
as brand equity, which is replicated in the consumer’s opinion of the brand. Brand equity can be
considered as the perceived market value of the company, and the management can build it by
creating and implementing an effective and unique brand strategy. Diverse marketing channels
can be used for creating brand equity and advertising can be used for influencing the factors that
affect it like brand association, perceived quality, brand loyalty and awareness of the brand
(Aaker and Biel, 2013).
How is a brand different from a product?
There are numerous differences between a product and a brand. Consumers are responsible for
creating a brand, whereas business organisations manufacture products. Another difference
between them is that products can be easily copied and replaced by other companies, but due to
the inimitable nature of brands, others cannot replicate them. Lastly, due to the presence of a
lifecycle, products become obsolete after a point of time, which does not happen in the case of
brands.
What are the key elements of a strong brand?
It is important for all strong brands to have the key elements that have been provided below. This
includes:
Name of the brand – One of the most important elements of a brand is its name because it is
used at all stages and places. Business organisations should have an attractive and easy to read
brand name, which people can associate with, resulting in growth.
Tagline – The brand’s personality is portrayed by its taglines, and it is important to keep them
short and relevant because of their consistent use.
Logo – The most visible and recurrent aspect of a brand that people recall easily is its logo.
People associate logos with the products of the company and what it stands for (De Chernatony,
2010).

Message – Since the core of the brand is represented by its message, it is important to have a
good message that conveys the objectives of the company and enables consumers to differentiate
it.
Colour palette – The personality of the brand is expressed through its colour palette, along with
inducing emotions in consumers, because of which using consistent colours is important.
Brand guidelines – Having effective guidelines assist a brand in maintaining its consistency and
integrity.
Imagery – Use of genuine, striking images, illustrations or graphics assists in defining a brand
and attracting consumers.
How to manage and develop a brand over time?
Corporate world is dynamic in nature because of continual changes, which takes place due to
invention of new technology, launch of new products, changes in government policies and laws,
and changes in what consumers’ desire. A brand can be developed and managed over time by
using innovation for increasing brand equity and strengthening the value of the company
(Oswald and Oswald, 2012). If a business organisation keeps innovating for developing new,
exclusive products and services, it will lead to increased brand value, and high number of
consumers will be interested in buying products from it. This will also assist the brand in gaining
an advantage over its competitors, leading to increased market share. Since new technology is
being developed every day, the brand image can be managed by companies by using it for
providing a superior customer experience.
What are the main challenges in developing a brand?
Developing and maintaining a brand can be challenging for a company (Aaker, 2014). Numerous
problems that firms face while doing the same have been listed below.
 Pioneering ideas are required to create a brand
 Gripping vision is required for brand differentiation
 Sometimes the main objectives of the organization are disregarded due to brand development
 Identifying an optimal marketing communication strategy for connecting with consumers

Conclusion
Brand development is integral for the success of a business organisation; however, it is important
to plan effectively for creating a successful brand and avoiding challenges.

Section 2
LO2: Analyse how brands are organised in portfolios and how brand hierarchies are built
and managed
LO3: Evaluate how brands are leveraged/ extended over time domestically and
internationally
LO4: Evaluate techniques for measuring and managing brand value over time.
The brands’ portfolio strategy
A company’s brand portfolio can be defined as the range of all brand lines and brands it offers in
a market segment or category. Brand Portfolio can be optimal when every single brand
complements other brand in the range of product portfolio. In most of the cases, the large
corporations are able to operate under multiple brands, companies and services. The confusion
amongst the consumers is reduced with the help of brand portfolios. The companies which
design their brand portfolio strategy focus on two main principles (Aaker, 2012). The first basic
principle is the maximization of the market coverage that facilitates the organizations to ensure
they pay attention to the potential consumers. The second basic principle is related to the
minimization of brand overlap that restricts the different brands under the same company from
competing with each other for gaining the approval from the same customer base.
The business organizations focus on constructing effective brand portfolio strategy so that they
can deploy, design and manage multiple brands. The large business corporations opt for
coordinated approach and models that can help them to achieve their business goals and
administer the operations of different brands. The different brand portfolio strategies and models
include branded house, house of brands, sub-brands and endorsed brands (Martin et al., 2011).
A strong portfolio roadmap can be established by adopting any of these models. The two most
commonly adopted models are branded house and house of brands. These two are considered as
the brand architecture that defines the structure and rationale of the firm. Branded House
Architecture is when an organization utilises a single set of different brand elements in case of all
products. On the other hand, House of Brand Architecture is where the business organization
uses different independent brands under its own company name (Beverland et al., 2010).

In order to explain the brand portfolio strategy, the example of popular brands that have been
ranked under the Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2017 has been taken. The strategy of branded
house can be explained with the help of Apple which has been ranked 1st in the Interbrand’s Best
Global Brands 2017. On the other hand, in order to explain the house of brands strategy, the
example of Oracle, which has been ranked as the 17th brand in the Interbrand’s Best Global
Brands 2017.
The management hierarchy of the two brands
The management hierarchy of the business organization is formed on the basis of the
organizational structure and the nature of the business operation of the organization.
Organizational structure are established in the organizations in order to accomplish specific goals
and defining each job, functions and influence the progress rate towards achieving the desired
goals (Daft et al., 2010). Both the above-mentioned companies, that is, Apple and Oracle have
specific organizational structure that creates a foundation for all the functions and activities of
the company. In case of Apple, the organization follows the organizational structure which is
matrix in nature. Being a multinational corporation, Apple deploys this organizational structure
so that in can have a dual management. The management hierarchy maintained effectively by the
organization. Time Cook is current CEO of the company who has been able to bring changes to
Apple. Different product line of Apple has a Vice President that takes proper control over all the
operations (Johnston and Marshall, 2016). All the products and services of Apple are sold under
its own brand name which means the organization adopts branded house model and applies
umbrella branding technique.
On the other hand, Oracle, which is the multinational corporation dealing with computer
technology follows a functional management structure for its management. The CTO of Oracle,
Larry Ellison has control over different functional departments. There are different functional
department like the sales, R&D, marketing, human resource, finance, production, operations,
management, etc., that are controlled by different people (Popova and Sharpanskykh, 2010). This
helps the organization to rely on the knowledge and talent of its employees. Oracle follows the
brand architecture of endorsed brand strategy where it has different independent brands like
NetSuite, MORE, Taleo, Art Technology, etc. All these companies have Oracle as its parent
company (Oracle.com., 2018).

The brands equity management using the CBBE model
The CBBE (Customer-Based Brand Equity) Model was established by Kevin Lane Keller in
order to build the brand equity of different brands to influence the thoughts of the customers.
Creating strong brand image can attract customers and enhance the number of loyal customers.
The perception and emotions of the customers have been considered while developing this model
(Peltola, 2014). By implementing this model, the business organizations can develop a unique
identity about their brand in the minds of the customers and in the industry as well. Multinational
Corporations like Oracle and Apple focus on creating a brand label and increase their brand
equity by using this model.
As per the CBBE model, there are four major steps that should be followed by the business
organizations to increase brand awareness and develop brand name. The four steps include brand
meaning, brand relationships, brand responses and brand identity. Each of the steps has six
blocks that should be followed effectively in order to achieve high results. Those blocks include
performance, judgements, salience, imagery resonance and feelings (Müge Arslan and Korkut
Altuna, 2010). Global business organizations like Oracle and Apple focus on applying this model
by following all the steps and deploying the building blocks. This helps them to reach the
pyramid’s sixth block. When the business organizations are able to do so, they develop a strong
and unique brand identity in the market and are able to satisfy their customers to the maximum
level. Hence, having a strong equity can provide real and intangible business benefits like
increased margins and expansion opportunities to the business organizations.
Extension approaches and strategies of both brands
Brand leveraging is considered as an important strategy that assists the business organizations to
expand the class of their products and support the entry of any new product in the entity. The
power and equity of the existing brand is used in order to achieve the brand leveraging strategy
goals. This kind of strategy helps the business organization to spread awareness in the market
instantly (Douglas and Craig, 2013). When a new product is introduced by leverage the existing
brand name, it persuades the customers to approach the new product. The two most common
strategies related to brand leveraging is brand extension and line extension. The global business

organizations use different strategies depending upon their market value, product value and their
customer base (Wheeler, 2017).
In case of the leading technology company like Apple, the brand levering strategy of brand
extension is adopted for introducing new products in the market. All the new products of Apple
are introduced under its own name. The Apple products most have the prefix ‘I’ before any
product name. This strategy has helped Apple to develop a unique brand value and has given
importance to products. For example, iPhone, iPod, iOS, iTunes, etc., have been able gain a huge
market share because of the aesthetic value of the brand name (Black et al., 2018). Other than
other products of Apple are also advertised under its own name in a very unique manner which
helps in grabbing attention of large number of customers. The major benefit of this kind brand
leveraging strategy is that increases the overall probability of increasing the customer awareness
by decreasing the perceived risk (Kapferer, 2012).
On the other hand, a leading computer technology multinational corporation like Oracle uses the
strategy of line extension for brand leveraging. The strategy of line extension is used when an
organization adds a new variant to its existing brand. The variant can be in any terms which can
target a set of customers to satisfy their needs (Keller et al., 2011). As Oracle has several
technology products, it uses the line extension strategy in case of its cloud products. It keeps on
adding new and innovative products to the cloud products. In order to re-shape its range of
Oracle Cloud, it has decided in order to adopt ‘six design goals’ (Murphy, 2018). These goals
would help in developing the platform, software and the infrastructure of the Oracle Cloud
Products. In order to fulfil the needs of the customers, Oracle introduced Enterprise Planning
Cloud, Financial Consolidation and Close Cloud and Account Reconciliation Cloud in order to
add to the EPM Cloud portfolio (Toomey, 2018).
Ways by which the brands are reinforced and revitalised
The brand revitalization is related to the strategy where a particular brand reaches the stage of
maturity and the overall profit level of the company starts to decline. The strategy of brand
reinforcement involves activities which are related to getting consumers who have used a brand
once to make them repeat purchasers and attract new customers at the same time (Oliveira‐
Castro et al., 2016). This includes innovations and modifications in the current organizational

operations. These strategies are important for large corporations as it helps them to provide
customers products that would fulfil their requirements (Chang and Chan-Olmsted, 2010).
In case of Apple, the strategy of brand consistency is adopted for brand revitalization and
reinforcement. As per this strategy, Apple focuses on retaining its strength and brand preference
that they have been able to develop over the years of operations by upgrading and updating their
products (Dev and Keller, 2014). Apple focuses on providing products as per the latest
technology and market trends and even update the previous products to keep the customers
engaged (ALABAR, 2012). On the other hand, company Oracle tries to implement brand
awareness in order to reach maximum customers and provide them the best technology solutions.
All the Oracle products are endorsed in an effective manner so that it can attract maximum
number of customers.
Collaboration and partnerships with each brand
The brand identity and positive corporate relationship between two or more brands can be
enhanced through corporate collaboration and corporate partnership. The kind of partnership
between the two or more brands can help the parent company to attract more customers and
provide more benefits (Abratt and Kleyn, 2012). For example, Apple collaborated with another
tech-leader company called IBM to transform the enterprise mobility. This forged global
partnership has helped both the company to introduce a new class of industry-specific enterprise
solutions more than 100 in number which includes native apps designed for iPad and iPhone.
Optimised cloud services of IBM have also been created for iOS that includes security, analytics,
mobile integration and device management (Apple Newsroom., 2018).
On the other hand, Oracle collaborated with Mitsubishi Electric in order to develop the platform
of Internet of Things for smart manufacturing. The new factory automation FA-IT Open
Platform has been developed after this collaboration. With the help of edge computing
technology between business applications and devices, the new rapid analysis, collection and
utilisation of information at various product sites are enabled. The advanced technologies of both
the companies have enabled the collaboration to be a huge success (Oracle.com., 2018).
Brand measurement techniques in relation to both brands

In order to enhance the brand value and image amongst the customers and in the market, the
business organizations need effective brand awareness and management strategies. There are
various techniques that are used by global business organizations like Apple and Oracle to
measure the brand-
Website Traffic Differential Tracking- This type of tracking technique is used by the organization
to track the traffic of their own website in comparison to their competitor’s website. This
technique allows the business organization to measure the impact of their branding initiatives on
their own inbound website traffic (Zenker, 2011). They use traffic data tools like hitwise.com,
trends.google.com and comscore.com to gather data about their website traffic compared to their
competitors and manage the visitor segment effectively.
Surveys- The business organizations also conduct various surveys through website, emails,
telephone or any other medium in order to ask relevant questions to the existing customers. They
even ask potential customers in a random manner about their own brands and related products
and services to gain an insight about how many people recall their brand.
Focus on the Search Volume Data- With the help of tools like Google Trends and Google
Adwords Keyword planner, organizations like Apple and Oracle are able to calculate the search
volume associated with their own brand names and track the volume in order to check any
changes (Hatch et al., 2010).
Brand equity audit and tracking techniques of the selected brands
The thorough examination of the current position of a particular brand in the market in
comparison with the competitors is known as the process of brand audit. This process provides a
review about the effectiveness and strength of the brand and also reflects the inconsistencies or
weaknesses (Simmons et al., 2010). With the help of brand audit, the business organizations are
able to find out about new opportunities for new developments and improvements. Both Apple
and Oracle conduct brand equity audit by gathering data and find its effect on the buying
decisions of the customers. The following are the different techniques that are used by both the
companies for brand equity audit-

 Developing Framework- Apple and Oracle focus on their strategic objectives and mission to
create a particular framework in order to target the customers whom they want to gain
information from.
 Question the customers- After identifying the target customers, they rely on social and web
along with the surveys and personal interviews to gain both qualitative and quantitative
insight about the customer experience.
 Reviewing Web Analytics, Sales Data and Social Data- By verifying and monitoring these
data, the business organizations gain insight about the current level of customer engagement
(Ha et al., 2010).
 Compare with competitors- Global organizations like Oracle and apple have large number of
competitors. After gathering proper data and gaining insight about their own website, the
business organizations focus on comparing these data with their rivals. This helps them to
position themselves in the market in comparison with their rivals and understand how they
can develop better strategies to improve their operations and brand name.
Various approaches to valuing brands
The brand name of the business organization is beyond the graphic element and the logo. The
element of customer perception and experience is associated with the brand name of the
company. It is necessary for the business organizations to value their brand in order to
distinguish between the company value and the brand value and understand about their customer
experience level (Salinas, 2011). There are various ways in which the business organizations like
Apple and Oracle evaluate their brand value-
Cost Approach- The business organizations evaluate their initial investments in order to recreate
and create their brand as per the current requirements. The companies assume that the brand
creation would get paid on this basis by the investors. However, this type of method is not used
by most of the companies.
Market Approach- The market approach assists the organizations to evaluate the brand value in
terms of trading in the open market. This helps the business organizations to determine their
brand value on the basis of the expenditure made by the consumers on the similar type of brands

in the market. Such information is gathered and compared with the rival company’s general
information to develop effective strategies.
Income Approach- As per the income approach, the calculation is made on the basis of the future
revenue generation capacity. This involves different tax calculations in order to calculate the
right cost amount (Roberts, 2011). The total income is calculated after deducting necessary tax
and tariff rates. This is one of the most commonly used approaches by most of the business
organizations. The income approach helps in evaluating the present and future value of the
company’s brands as per its economic life.

Conclusion
In this assignment, the learner has highlighted the importance of brand management and its
various aspects with the help of different strategies, models and theories. This assignment
provides an understanding about successful branding and its impact on the business operations
and profitability level of the business organizations. It is essential to properly analyze and plan
the brand management strategies for the business organizations. With the help of real examples,
the effectiveness of brand management has been discussed in this assignment. The different
tools, techniques and approaches used for valuing brands have also been mentioned in this
assignment. This assignment would provide an in-depth knowledge about the use of different
brand portfolio strategy and organizational structure for achieving different goals of the business
organization.

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