Brand Management Strategies Research Articles

Choosing the Right Metrics for Listerine Brand Management in Brazil

Ronaldo Art, brand manager for J&J’s Listerine, reflected on the progress he had made in market penetration for the oral hygiene product from the time he started in the position in 2010 to late 2014. He wanted to develop a long-term strategy for the brand rather than stimulating short-term increases in market share, which could compromise the equity of the brand, its profitability, and its long-term competitive advantage. This case has been used in Darden’s second-year course “Marketing Metrics and Integrated Marketing Communications” and would work well in any course module focused on brand management and brand strategy.

Brand crisis communication through social media

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how companies make use of social media communication to turn crises into opportunities and how consumers respond to this brand management strategy, and evaluate the effects of this kind of advertising campaign. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses the textual analysis method to examine the verbal fight between two brand competitors on Sina Weibo. An interpretative analysis approach is adopted to analyze a series of micro-blog messages and relevant responses and comments. A statistical analysis is conducted to reveal the public opinion on this case. Findings – The brand crisis due to trademark dispute has been successfully turned into an advertising campaign, which received eager and favorable responses from the consumers. In the name of making apologies, the company in crisis availed itself of the Weibo platform to make a veiled protest against the verdict of the Court. The technique “acting cute” was proved to be effective in diminishing the negative effect of a brand crisis and winning public sympathy and support. Research limitations/implications – The research findings may provide insights into the interplay between brand advertising and corporate crisis communication on the platform of social media. Practical implications – This study can inform practitioners of useful techniques to deal with brand crises via social media. Originality/value – The value of this study lies not only in its contribution to the body of knowledge on online crisis management with a case of Chinese companies, but also in its validation of the interplay between crisis communication and advertising.

Consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility brands: the role of face concern

Purpose– Face concern is a personal value that refers to the extent an individual shows regard for or interest in the protection and enhancement of face. This study aims to examine the moderating influence of face concern on consumer responses to brands associated with corporate social responsibility (CSR).Design/methodology/approach– An experimental study was conducted to test the proposed conceptual model in consumer reactions to CSR brands.Findings– The results show that consumers with a high face concern (vs low face concern) have a better quality perception toward CSR brands than non-CSR brands. In addition, they also have a higher purchase intention and propensity to recommend the CSR brands than those with a low face concern. However, this interaction effect between face concern and brand type (CSR brand vs non-CSR brand) is mediated by consumers’ perceived quality of the brand.Practical implications– This study provides critical implications for the formulation of brand management strategies, particularly for international firms entering an Asian country like China where people generally have a high degree of face concern.Originality/value– This study highlights the moderating role of face concern in the relationship between consumer responses and brands associated with CSR. It also suggests the mediating role of consumers’ perceived brand quality in the relationship between brand types (CSR brands vs non-CSR brands) and consumer responses.

Managing Brands as a Resources: A Study of Hollywood Film Franchises

Early RBV work suggested that brands serve as a strategic resource leading to sustainable competitive advantage (SCA). To date however there has been little strategic management work regarding how brands can be effectively managed as a strategic resource. We suggest that brand management strategies can benefit from a strategic management perspective, in particular, that their effectiveness may vary by the consumption patterns of a given industry. We develop the notion of brand re-creation strategy employed in experiential industries such as books, video games and movies and derive product level similarity and brand concept consistency as a key factors influencing the effectiveness of brand re-creation strategies in the motion picture industry. Finally, we develop a test a contingency model arguing that the impact of consistency is contingent on deployment factors that influence consumption like time elapsed and sequel number.

Learning from Academic Branding: Exploring Institutional Enhancement, Visual Identity, and the Role of Football as a Catalyst for University Brand Transformation

For colleges and universities, athletic programs can provide a visible form of national exposure and lead to the formation and maintenance of favorable brand images (Toma, 2003; Toma & Cross, 1998). Effective brand management strategies can have a significant effect on institutional objectives such as recruiting student-athletes, facilitating development opportunities with alumni and other stakeholders, and soliciting corporate partnerships (i.e., Clark, Apostolopoulou, Branvold, & Synowka, 2009; Lee, Miloch, Kraft, & Tatum, 2008). Through athletics, universities establish a sense of significance and distinctiveness for the institutional brand image (Toma, 2003), and successful athletics programs have the potential to develop institutional brand identification by creating divergent perceptions (DiGisi, 2004). Brand strategy deficiencies impede marketing efforts and limit opportunities for brand differentiation. Framed in university branding and stakeholder theory, this study employs a single case study methodol-ogy examining the rebranding of a select university and its athletic program and benefits gained by the school following an institutional rebrand.

A luxury brand management framework built from historical review and case study analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a luxury brand management (LBM) framework that accounts for the changing luxury environment (i.e. heterogeneous consumer populations, operations within markets of varying maturity, need for seamless customer experiences, and Omni-channel retailing). Framework set within this new luxury business environment and environmental phenomena unique to the fashion industry (i.e. fashion adoption, zeitgeist). Design/methodology/approach – Case study of leading luxury conglomerate, Louis Vuitton Möet Hennessy (LVMH), combined with in-depth historical review of luxury industry. Primary and secondary data sources yielded thick descriptions of brands in LVMH portfolio and larger luxury industry, in which conglomerate is the predominant organizational structure. Content analysis of data-tracked relationships and emergent patterns. Recontextualization techniques were employed to identify key dimensions of brand management operations for sample company and further explicated indicators, sub-variables, and measurements. Macro and micro dimensions were combined for the final framework. Findings – Findings revealed a LBM framework with specific dimensions at the micro or company level that are combined with variables and indicators in the macro-business environment. Strategic management response was also identified as a tool companies can use to synthesize brand management strategies throughout company and remain adaptive to environment. Originality/value – Contributes to company-based luxury research. Holistic findings; framework was constructed from the micro-company level within a macro-environmental context, increasing its relevancy for firms. Potential to be employed in strategic brand management decisions of luxury companies, regardless of their corporate structure, size, or age.

Micromax Informatics Ltd: Marketing strategy for emerging markets

Subject area Marketing strategy, strategic innovation. Study level/applicability Strategic brand management or marketing strategy courses at MBA level. Case overview It seemed likely that a company with the highest number of product variants would consider product innovation to be its key source of sustenance in a crowded marketplace. Especially so, when the local and global competition was hotting up to a new launch every week. In the case of Micromax, a mobile handset maker from India tried to drive home the point that sustainability in emerging markets did not lie in inventing a new technology like Apple or Nokia or Sony did, albeit accompanied with a premium price tag. For the emerging markets, it was important to optimize the offering for the consumers. Strategic optimization could result from bridging the gaps in performance, infrastructure and organization design, which came naturally to this marketing-savvy mobile maker. Any company could make a cost-effective phone, but few could position, brand and sell it the way Micromax did. Shubhodip Pal, Head of Marketing at Micromax Informatics Pvt Ltd, India, pondered the marketing strategy which could pave the way into maintaining the company's national leadership position while creating a roadmap for its global foray. For Micromax, marketing strategy innovation, and not product innovation, would fulfil the goal of long-term growth in India and overseas markets. Expected learning outcomes The students studying this case are expected to learn: marketing strategy in emerging markets such as India, marketing strategy as the critical success factor for upcoming Indian companies rather than product innovation and doing business in emerging markets. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

The standardization-localization dilemma of brand communications for luxury fashion retailers' internationalization into China

This paper considers the standardization–localization debate within the context of foreign luxury fashion retailers' internationalization into the emerging Chinese marketplace. Luxury retailers must balance a global–local dilemma, given the challenging trading conditions of a complex marketplace with low brand awareness and loyalty, alongside the need to maintain exclusivity and standardization of brand image across all markets. Qualitative data from 22 luxury fashion retailers currently active in the Chinese market provide rich insights that reveal the decision-making process for marketing strategies that support entry into China. Foreign luxury retailers balance the ‘global–local dilemma’ in China firstly by locating operational management control within the strategic hub of Hong Kong, and secondly by implementing far more adaptive and enterprising marketing communications than seen in other mature markets. At the same time, foreign luxury retailers retain tight strategic control of key branding dimensions at head offices in their home markets, as part of a successful long-term luxury brand management strategy. As Chinese luxury consumers increasingly feel part of a global elite, over-localization may cause confusion over brand identity and country of origin (COO). The insights may be strategically useful for luxury retailers entering or expanding in China and also provide indications of future trends of luxury retailing in China and other emerging markets.

Social media strategy for online service brands

Research on service brands' participation in online activities has focused largely on Internet-enabled transactions and functional interactions between the firm and the customer. Most research discussing social media for online services position it as an extension of offline customer service activities and secondary in marketing importance to branded websites. This research explores the role of social media for online service brands rather as a set of online communication channels that enable the development and nurturing of brand–consumer relationships and trust, particularly relevant for high-involvement services dealing with private consumer information. Social media are further treated as a strategic means of mitigating consumer perceptions of risk of high-involvement online services, particularly those transitioning from offline to online environments. To conclude, a prescriptive managerial process for the development, management and measurement of online service brand and customer relationship management strategies on social media is proposed.

Impact of Brand Personality on Brand Equity: The Role of Brand Trust, Brand Attachment, and Brand Commitment

Research suggests a close interrelationship between brand personality and brand equity. Companies have recognized the importance of brand personality in the development of brand equity. Therefore, a brand management strategy based on interrelationship between brand personality and brand equity is the need of the hour. The purpose of this study was to understand the influence of brand personality on brand equity through relational variables: brand trust, brand attachment, and brand commitment and to offer a model depicting the relationship among these variables. The data were collected from a survey of 220 respondents. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. The results of the study confirm the indirect influence of brand personality on brand equity via brand trust, brand attachment, and brand commitment. The findings yield implications for brand managers, which will help them in devising branding strategies.

European luxury big business and emerging Asian markets, 1960–2010

This article tackles the transformation of the European luxury business since the 1960s, through the examples of the French fashion industry and the Swiss watch business. It argues that emerging Asian markets, that is, Japan between the 1960s and the 1990s and subsequently China since 2000, have played a key role in this process as the major outlets. It examines the strategies adopted to access East Asia markets and how they were affected by the emergence of luxury multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the 1980s. While department stores were a gateway to Japanese market since the 1960s, they gradually lost their bargaining power when French and Swiss MNEs began to internalise distribution and to implement a global brand management strategy. This feature is also a major characteristic of the distribution of luxury goods in China, where MNEs are directly involved.

Brand Management Throughout Professional Athletes' Careers

This paper examines how professional athletes can optimize commercial revenues from endorsement and sponsorship agreements throughout their careers. We use athlete brand management, defined as the balancing of brand building and brand selling activities, to understand the dynamics of commercial revenues optimization. We develop a conceptual framework that consists of two main blocks. First, we investigate four key determinants for the generation of athletes' accumulated commercial revenues. Second, we analyze appropriate brand management strategies at different stages of an athlete's life cycle. We propose a number of contingencies that refer to an athlete's characteristics, situation, and environment and argue that these contingencies determine the appropriate, i.e. revenues-optimizing, brand management strategy of an athlete at any career stage. Examples of professional athletes' brand management strategies support our framework. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to examine athletes' long-term commercial revenues optimization through athlete brand management.

They are not all same: variations in Asian consumers’ value perceptions of luxury brands

Asian markets are steadily becoming key growth regions for luxury brands. However, despite the growth, many luxury brand firms are unable to obtain the desired economic returns through their marketing strategies in Asia. Often these firms treat consumers across Asian markets as homogenous groups, which could lead to inaccurate luxury brand management strategy. Additionally, there is limited understanding of consumer value perceptions toward luxury brands across the Asian markets. Employing impression management theory and the horizontal/vertical collectivistic cultural distinctions, this study examines differences and similarities in constituent luxury value perceptions across three prominent Asian markets, namely China, India, and Indonesia. The results of a quantitative survey conducted with 626 real luxury consumers in these three countries identify variations in perceptions of symbolic, experiential, and functional value of luxury brands. The study contributes to knowledge on constituent luxury value perceptions, along with providing theoretical explanations for the differences between consumers across Asian markets. With the emerging novel insights on Asian consumers, luxury brand firms can align their marketing strategies to respective markets by leveraging the similarities and differences in consumer value perceptions. This approach, informed by empirical evidence, will enhance luxury brands’ competitiveness and profit opportunities in the high-growth Asian markets. The study identifies a number of future research directions.

Understanding the Influence of Brand Personality on Consumer Behavior

Companies have recognized the relevance of brand personality in shaping consumer behavior and thus necessarily incorporate it in their brand management strategies. Previous research has suggested that brand personality increases consumer preference and usage. Given the potential utility of brand personality for marketers, this paper reviews and analyses the relevant research and thereby identifies three modes of action of brand personality on consumer behavior: (i) Brand personality as a vehicle to express functional benefits of a brand (ii) Brand personality as a reflective symbol of the self of the consumer, and (iii) Brand Personality as a medium to establish consumer-brand relationship. The results of the reviewed research indicate that consumer behavior is a function of brand-consumer personality congruence and consumers can also use brands to extend their own personality. 

Management of a luxury brand: dimensions and sub-variables from a case study of LVMH

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop industry specific operational definitions for marketing dimensions and sub-variables in the luxury goods industry that will contribute to the growing body of company-based research on luxury brand management. Design/methodology/approach – Case study of a leading luxury goods conglomerate provides operational definitions and insight into best practices for management of a luxury goods brand through an in-depth historical review and analysis of variables, measures, relationships, and patterns that emerged throughout the study of the sample company. Findings – Successes and failures of brand management for the sample company for the umbrella variables of brand strategy, growth trade-offs, and strategic planning, and their associated sub-variables, were identified in the review of literature and were analyzed, adapted, and enumerated according to findings from the case study. Research limitations/implications – Results limited to the study of one sample company. Common themes were identified in the management of a luxury brand that can be used by researchers to study other luxury companies. Practical implications – Variables and measures for luxury brand management were identified throughout the review of literature and verified throughout the case study as being instrumental in brand management success of a leading luxury goods conglomerate and may be relevant to other luxury companies aiming to hone their brand management strategies. Originality/value – Luxury goods research is increasing in prominence, but the majority of this research is consumer-based. This research contributes to the growing body of company-based luxury research.

Brand meaning gaps and dynamics: theory, research, and practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, propositions in an existing conceptual framework are empirically explored to note whether and how brand meaning gaps exist for internal and external stakeholders of a focal brand. Second, a typology of brand meaning gaps, characterised by meaning assonance and valence, offers new insight for brand management strategy. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use case study methods to explore the research propositions about brand meaning gaps among stakeholder groups. The focal firm is The Black Dog Company of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts in the USA. Data from brand owners (internal stakeholders) and consumers (external stakeholders) are collected using in-depth interviews, observation, document analysis, and an online survey that includes a picture association task. Further inductive analysis of secondary data helps develop the typology of brand meaning gaps and dynamics. Findings – The research propositions are supported. Brand meaning gaps exist between internal and external stakeholders, and they exist among two external stakeholder groups. Brand meaning for owners, primarily defined as family heritage, is largely unknown to consumers. Among consumers, brand meaning for stakeholder group 1 is “coastal New England”; brand meaning for group 2 is “dog lovers.” Although multiple brand meanings exist for stakeholders, the meanings are relatively assonant (harmonious) and positively valenced. The findings regarding the polysemic nature of brand meaning are useful to brand managers seeking to leverage offerings to multiple target markets. These findings, along with additional secondary data, serve as the basis for a typology of brand gaps and dynamics characterized by assonance and valence. Four types of meaning gaps may lead to situations where brands are beloved, on-the-cusp, hijacked, or facing disaster. Originality/value – This work addresses calls from the literature to empirically explore brand meaning among multiple stakeholder groups.

Corporate Blogs

As economic challenges and pressures for businesses mount, marketing teams are faced with major decisions. While widespread consumer anxiety results in dwindling businesses, marketing budget allocations are hit by cutbacks and marketers face the challenge of better market performance in a restrained economy. Investments and organizational objectives have been reframed. While retention of market share appears the biggest thought, equally important is to continue to build the product or service's customer base and avoid losing brand value during constrained times. The need is to reorganize brand portfolios, rethink spending approaches, generate more fine-grained customer insights, overhaul pricing and segment management and restructure sales, service, and channel strategies. Better brand positioning and appropriate use of technological tools enables shrinking the budgets for marketing resource allocation. In this context, brand positioning gains importance as a strategic marketing function. It further becomes vital for organizations to recognize the consumer as a significant dimension in evaluating and positioning organizational brands. This can be achieved through adoption of appropriate brand management strategies. In this paper, the authors explore the use of organizational blogs for increasing consumer brand knowledge. Blogging is shaping into a useful organizational tool for brand propagation and interaction with consumers with several corporates having effectively launched Corporate Blogs, thereby shaping consumer perception, by adding to consumer knowledge about organizations, brands and products. In this paper the researcher analyses the improvement in Consumer brand knowledge by exposure of the consumer to a corporate blog. A simulated lab environment is created where a set of consumers are exposed to a brand blog for a period of ten minutes. The variation in levels of consumer brand knowledge is calculated. Future scope of work is outlined in measuring the variation in consumer sentiment pertaining to a brand before and after increase in a consumer's knowledge pertaining to a brand. Subsequently Brand knowledge maps will be developed to measure the results empirically. In the era of consumer empowerment, the average consumer is faced with numerous product and brand choices. In a fiercely competitive environment, organizations who want to retain their consumers and increase consumer-brand loyalty need to focus on increasing the consumer's knowledge about the brand.

Comparison of Luxury Brand Perception: Old (UK) vs. Modern (Russia) consumers’ perception toward Burberry Brand

With globalization and increased mobility consumers can easily access the same brand in different markets, interpreting the meaning and the social statuses they represent. That is why maintaining brand consistency across countries should be of great importance for companies’ brand management and marketing strategies, especially in the luxury industry where profitability and long-term success rely on consumers’ perceptions of luxury brands. This paper examines brand image consistency of luxury brands in the fashion industry, through an exploratory study of consumers’ perception of the Burberry brand in the UK and Russia.

THE CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND NEW BRAND MANAGEMENT POLICIES OF ORGANIC FOOD IN ITALY: THE CASE STUDY OF “VIVI VERDE COOP”

Due to economic growth, social, cultural and demographic changes lead to changes on food production patterns. Increased instruction levels, strong urbanization and consequent depopulation of rural areas, increased number of working women, increased wealth of families, growth and differentiation of food demand led to deep innovations in consumers priorities and choices. It means that consumption behaviors are now more focused on food safety (search for secure, healthy and even biological food) rather than food security (the problem of food scarcity no longer affects the developed countries). Food producers and distributors, in particular large scale distribution, gradually adapted their strategies to meet the emerging consumers’ preferences. In this paper we analyze the brand management strategy “ViviVerde” pursued by Coop and, also we perfom an analysis of the demand elasticity of the food products sold with the ViviVerde label (eggs, milk, fresh cheese, pasta, fruit juices) from de period of January 2010 to May 2012 in the Italian Province of Bologna. The conclusions are that economic performance of a line of products of the ViviVerde Coop, that clearly pursues the Corporate Social Responsibility objectives, is positive and increasing. It demonstrates that those kinds of brand management strategies can be successful.

Innovating brand strategy development using integration of data mining and the CBBE model

In salon and hairdressing industry, driven by growing awareness to embrace the concept of the ‘Lifestyle of health and sustainability’ (LOHAS) and fiercer competition in its business, innovating brand management strategy is important for sustaining business. The aim of this study was to utilise the integration of brand equality pyramid and data mining toward innovative learning in developing service brand strategy. Association rule of data mining and the results from customers’ survey data are used to develop the integrated model. An example using Taiwanese beauty salon and hairdressing industry is provided to illustrate the utilisation of the model in practice.