In this long-awaited book from the world's premier brand expert and author of
the seminal work Building Strong Brands, David Aaker shows managers how to
construct a brand portfolio strategy that will support a company's business strategy and
create relevance, differentiation, energy, leverage, and clarity.
Building on case studies of world-class brands such as Dell, Disney, Microsoft, Sony,
Dove, Intel, CitiGroup, and PowerBar, Aaker demonstrates how powerful, cohesive brand
strategies have enabled managers to revitalize brands, support business growth, and create
discipline in confused, bloated portfolios of master brands, subbrands, endorser brands,
co-brands, and brand extensions.
Aaker offers readers step-by-step advice on what to do when confronting scenarios such
as the following:
- Brands are underleveraged
- The business strategy is at risk because of inadequate brand platforms
- The business faces a relevance threat caused by emerging subcategories
- The firm's brands are tired and bland
- Strategy is paralyzed by a lack of priority among the brands
- Brands are cluttered and confusing to both customers and employees
- The firm needs to move into the super-premium or value arenas to create margin or sales
volume
- Margin pressures require points of differentiation
Renowned brand guru Aaker demonstrates that assuring that each brand in the portfolio
has a clear role and actively reinforces and supports the other portfolio brands will
profoundly affect the firm's profitability. Brand Portfolio Strategy is required
reading not only for brand managers but for all managers with bottom-line responsibility
to their shareholders.
David A. Aaker is the Vice-Chairman of Prophet, Professor Emeritus of Marketing
Strategy at the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, Advisor to
Dentsu, Inc., and a recognized authority on brands and brand management. The winner of the
Paul D. Converse Award for outstanding contributions to the development of the science of
marketing and the Vijay Mahajan Award for Career Contributions to Marketing Strategy, he
has published more than ninety articles and eleven books, including Strategic Market
Management, Managing Brand Equity, Building Strong Brands, and Brand Leadership
(co-authored with Eric Joachimsthaler).
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I: What is Brand Portfolio Strategy?
Chapter 1. Brand Portfolio Strategy
The Intel Case
What Is a Brand Portfolio Strategy?
Dimensions of the Brand Portfolio Strategy
Brand Portfolio Objectives
Chapter 2. The Brand Relationship Spectrum
The Disney Brand Family
Master Brands, Endorsers, Subbrands, and Driver Roles
Linking Brands - The Brand Relationship Spectrum
A House of Brands
Endorsed Brands
Subbrands
A Branded House
Selecting the Right Position in the Brand Relationship Spectrum
Chapter 3. Inputs to Brand Portfolio Decisions
Microsoft
Citigroup
Market Forces and Dynamics
Business Strategy
Brand Equities and Identities
The Brand Portfolio Audit
Managing the Brand Portfolio
Part II. Creating Relevance, Differentiation, and Energy
Chapter 4. Brand Relevance
PowerBar
What Is Relevance?
Strategies to Create or Maintain Relevance
Relevance vs. Stick to Your Knitting
Chapter 5. Energizing and Differentiating the Brand
Sony
Differentiating and Energizing a Brand
Branded Differentiators
Branded Energizers
Managing Branded Differentiators and Energizers
Chapter 6. Accessing Strategic Assets: Brand Alliances
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition
Co-Master Branded Offerings
External Branded Differentiators
External Branded Energizers
Tactical Brand Alliances
Developing Effective Brand Alliances
Part III. Leveraging Brand Assets
Chapter 7. Leveraging the Brand into New Product-Markets
Dove
Leveraging the Brand into New Offerings
Will the Brand Enhance the Extension?
Will the Extension Enhance the Brand?
Is There a Compelling Need for a New Brand?
Putting Extension Risks into Perspective
Creating Range Brand Platforms
Chapter 8. Participating in Upscale and Value Markets
GE Appliances
Marriott
The Vertical Brand Extension
Moving the Brand Down
Moving a Brand Up
Part IV. Bringing Focus and Clarity to the Brand Portfolio
Chapter 9. Leveraging the Corporate Brand
Dell
United Parcel Service (UPS)
The Corporate Brand
Why Leverage the Corporate Brand?
Challenges in Managing the Corporate Brand
Endorser Role
Changing the Corporate Brand Name
Chapter 10. Toward Focus and Clarity
Unilever
Ford vs. BMW
Too Many Brands?
Too Many Product Variants: Decision Fatigue
Strategic Brand Consolidation
Epilogue: Brand Portfolio Strategy - 20 Takeaways
Notes
Index
Hardcover, 348 pages