THE BRAND PORTFOLIO AUDIT
Conduct a brand portfolio audit. My brand that I have choose is "Apple". This assignment will consist of a written element and presentation element.
Portfolio Objectives-
• Is the portfolio delivering synergy, with brands teaming to support and enhance other brands? Are the brands consistent across product-market contexts? Are brand-budding resources allocated optimally across brands? Are the future strategic brands and brands with clear roles given adequate resources to fulfill their assigned roles?
• Are all the brands fully leveraged? Could they be extended horizontally or vertically without damage to equities? Are future growth platforms being developed?
• Are the brands, especially brands with a driver role, losing relevance? Are they adapting to market dynamics? Is there an opportunity to create new categories and subcategories?
• Are the brands strong enough to perform their role? Do they have enough energy and vitality? Enough differentiation? Is the differentiation sustainable?
• Is there customer-facing clarity? Or is there confusion and clutter among the offerings?
Brand Portfolio-
• Identify the brands in the portfolio or portfolio subset, including sub brands, endorsed brands, branded differentiators, branded energizers, alliance brands, and corporate brands.
Portfolio Roles-
• Which brands are the strategic brands-that is, the ones representing substantial current or future profits or points of leverage (linchpin brands)?
• What brands or sub brands are playing (or should play) branded energizer roles? Are additional ones needed? Can existing branded entities be packaged to play that role, or are new programs needed? Are brand alliances needed?
• What branded energizers have the potential for significant impact? How? Are there organizational problems holding them back?
• What branded energizers should be a priority, which should be silver bullet brands?
• Are flanker brands needed? Why? What is the threat? Can existing brands be adapted, or are new ones needed to play the flanker role?
• Are strategic and silver bullet brands, brand energizers, and flankers being supported and actively managed?
• What brands should be playing cash cow roles? Do they require the resources they now receive?
Brand Scope-
• Are driver brands and sub brands adequately leveraged? What would be candidates for horizontal brand extensions? Are sub brands or endorsed brands needed to more fully leverage the brands?
• Is there the potential to extend brands vertically, with or without a sub brand or endorsed brand?
• Can a brand be exported into new markets?
• Are some brands overextended? Are their images being jeopardized?
Product-Defining Roles-
For major and/or representative product-market contexts:
• Identify the brands and sub brands with substantial driver responsibility. How much equity do they have? How strong is their link to customers? What are the group of brands that need active management and brand-building?
• Identify the sub brands and scale them on the driver-descriptive sub brand spectrum. Given that appraisal, are they all receiving an appropriate amount of resources and management? Should some be relegated to descriptor roles?
• Do the existing endorser brands add value as endorsers? Do they detract? Is their identity appropriate for that role? Should their role as endorsers recede or be deleted in some contexts? Are there other contexts in which an endorser should be added or made more pronounced?
• Does the endorser role enhance the endorser brand in all contexts? If not, is the potential damage to the brand worth it?
• Identify the branded differentiators. Should these be given a greater or lesser role? Are more needed? Where?
• Identify co-brands. Are they well conceived? Should new ones be considered? What types of partners would serve to enhance the brand?
• Are umbrella brands needed to provide clarity, focus, and better communication strategies?
Brand Portfolio Structure-
• Create for each brand in the portfolio a disk with the brand's logo and ask people to arrange the disks using a universe model. Identify the "suns" and, around each sun, the planets with their moons. Ask the participants to explain the logic. Compare the results. What is common? What is different?
• Portray the brand portfolio structure by one or more of the following:
-Showing a grouping of brands using logical descriptors such as segment, product type, application, or channel.
-Diagramming all of the brand hierarchy trees.
-Specifying the structure with a network graphic.
• Evaluate the brand portfolio structure (and meaningful subparts) as to whether it generates clarity, strategy, and direction rather than complexity, ad hoc decisions, and strategic drift.
• Should existing brands be deleted or given a greater or lesser influence in existing contexts? Should new driver brands or sub brands be created?
Portfolio Graphics-
• Lay out a sample of the way that the brands are presented visually, including logos and communication material. Are the presentations clear, consistent, and logical? Or is there confusion and inconsistency? Is the relative importance of each brand reflected in the visuals? Is there visual energy?
• Does the visual presentation of the brand across the portfolio create clarity or confusion? Does it support the portfolio structure? Does it support the context roles? Does it support the brand Identities?