Branding — a core business process

Abstract

In this concluding contribution to the JBM Series, Chris Macrae explains why branding is a core business process in need of a new direction. He foresees that companies that intend to compete for the future, with branding as a core competence, will use brand architectures. These will be constructed to connect up Hamel and Prahalad's strategic notions such as core competences, the foresight of leadership, and organised round banner brands. These will integrate corporate goodwill much more efficiently than the classical brand management system of fragmented product brands, whose economic validity is ceasing to exist. A five-stage implementation procedure for companies that wish to change over to brand architectures, is described.