The expansions, the acquisitions, the mergers and other similar strategies, even if fruitful in the long term, generate a lot confusion in minds of the clients about the products and services the company offers and makes them less willing to buy. The only way out of this chaos is to stand up an architecture from brand that connects the brands of the same family to each other. This is the brand architecture.
But how to make one that takes into account all variables present on the market today? Let's see together i benefits of a solid brand architecture and let's examine the main models used to make a strategy winning.
WE DEFINE THE BRAND ARCHITECTURE
With the expression brand architecture all those operations are indicated communicative, from image and of marketing, who make sure to organize and to relate the various brands within the portfolio of a company. With this system, it manages the products and services it offers, in order to make the target what we are or are not talking about. Thus, i consumers can to establish a relation between several products at the same time e create from the opinions and tangible preferences on certain brand names.
Whatever the structuring of a brand architecture, the important thing is to understand that the management of the portfolio and its interactions with the parent company have a meaning strategic as well as operational. Therefore, it is necessary to categorize and distinguish the various sectors and the various brands in order not to miss the positioning from brand. Above all, to ensure that the various departments of the company do not cannibalize each other, taking away market shares or potential customers from each other.
STRATEGIES AND MODELS OF BRAND ARCHITECTURE
When a company is a manage a plurality from brands it is essential that they function coherently and effectively. As if it were a single entity that has the purpose of obtaining clarity and synergy. A brand architecture harmoniously designed contributes to make the offer more transparent to customers. At the same time, brand architecture favors concrete possibilities for cooperation between the brand by exploiting shared resources.
To achieve this result, essentially two strategies can be followed. That ofintegration, which is the tendency to align the appearance of inferior brands with that of the main brand. Or that of the separation, keeping the aesthetics and the names of the various brands independent. From this point of view they can be identified 3 models from brand architecture, depending on how you want to alternate these two strategies.
BRANDED HOUSE, ONE FOR MANY
The first model is the branded house (or monolithic model) used when all brand I'm immediately attributable at the home mother, because they report the first name and the logo. Between benefits of this strategy there is certainly that of to exploit the image corporate and the possibility of share there communication. So to save by exploiting an economy from stairs.
A classic example is FedEx. Indeed, the division FedEx Kinko offers very different (but free) services than the brand FedEx. However, it is easily connected to it and therefore shares his credibility and the same set of values.
HOUSE OF BRANDS, MANY FOR ONE
At the opposite pole, there is the model house of brands. In this case, the identity of the parent company is detached from the identities of the other brands in the portfolio. In fact, these have their own names, personalities and products.
This brand architecture allows to dominate niches market through placements based on specific benefits functional. Also, it allows you to simplify the acquisition processes of new brands. Often, in these cases the brands are competing with each other, with the aim of close the market to external competition. An example of this type of organization is the approach of Procter & Gamble.
BRANDS IN FREE RELATION: THE ENDORSED BRAND
Finally, there is the endorsed brand. This type of brand architecture involves the presence of brands strong and independent incurred from a corporate brand guarantor of the offer, with a role less direct and more secondary. Furthermore, it has the advantage of allowing employment discretionary of the corporate brand in function of the profile e of the role strategic of each single market. For example, this is the case with Sony Playstation: the console brand shares the mission and the values from Sony. Nonetheless, he has the freedom to carry on strategies separate and independent, fully enjoying the fame of the parent company.
This model may also feature a version hybrid where one of the "sub-brandIs also the main brand. Think about the Coca-Cola Company: Coca Cola and Coca-Cola Zero obviously they share their name with the company. However, Sprite and Fanta they do not, even though they are part of the same Company. Obviously a closer look at the packaging reveals the connection between brand and product.
THE FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN CREATING A BRAND ARCHITECTURE
In defining a winning brand architecture, various aspects must always be taken into account. For example, it is important homogeneity or the character distinctive needs of customers of a company. A simple example is given by those companies that offer products of the same category, but at different prices. It is the case of Toyota who in the past found that his brand was not perceived in one way prestigious, such as to compete in the segment luxury of the market automotive. So he launched the brand Lexus.
Of course it is also important to consider the market and the organization corporate. For example, with a high degree of autonomy of divisions it may be impossible to successfully introduce central brand control management.
THE BENEFITS OF A CORRECT BRAND ARCHITECTURE STRATEGY
We have seen it as an established brand architecture it can be a fundamental guide to choosing how to show up to the better on market and to the possible consumers. In addition, it can provide a roadmap for development and the design from the brand identity.
However, build one solid architecture from brand it's not easy, which is why they exist agencies from marketing. Over the years, we of QuestionMark we have achieved numerous branding projects for companies operating in various sectors. One of the our most important work it concerns FRoSTA.
In 2017, the company acquired the well-known brand There Valley Of the Vegetable gardens to enter the Italian market. Hence the challenge of having to to integrate the latest arrival in a family with a long and important history behind it. To win it, we have chosen to follow the model of the House of Brands. Indeed, the two brands have remained distinct, aiming at target different, but in the communication (both traditional and online) we were able to transfer those values from sustainability and responsibility that have always distinguished FRoSTA.
Recently, the FRoSTA brand family has expanded thanks to the new sustainability project FRoSTA Friend of Nature, born from the collaboration with Legambiente. In this case, the choice was to differentiate the brands of the products from that of the projects. The result is a logo with an independent identity but with visual elements that recall the brand FRoSTA.
In the current scenario, the first product for sale and the own brand. Only thanks to the brand, with his own Baggage from values and meanings is possible to distinguish an offer or a company in an overflowing panorama of competitors.
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