Brand Portfolio Strategy and Brand Architecture
While companies choose to brand their products and services in many different ways, there are some central tenets that help define an optimal brand portfolio and associated brand architecture. Brand portfolio strategy involves the design, deployment, and management of multiple brands as a coordinated portfolio of meaning-based assets that address the needs of diverse customers in a marketplace and maximize return while minimizing risk. It specifies the optimal portfolio of brands a company should maintain for comprehensive market coverage with minimal overlap, determines the role and scope of each brand in the portfolio, and designs a strategic, logical, and efficient brand architecture that knits the brands together into an interdependent system. Done well, it informs the allocation of investment across brands, identifies underperforming brands as candidates for pruning or revitalization, and pinpoints gaps in the portfolio that indicate growth opportunities for new brands.
Keywords: marketing; marketing strategy; brands and branding; brand management; brand portfolio; brand extension; brand portfolio strategy; brand architecture; consumer behavior; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy;
Citation:
Avery, Jill. "Brand Portfolio Strategy and Brand Architecture." Harvard Business School Background Note 517-021, August 2016. (Revised July 2017.) View Details
