Brand Strategy Management Practical Handbook

Author: Liu Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A series of marketing elite practical books. This is the definitive work on brand strategy management in China. Whether it's brand identity and brand structure, or communication, marketing, and strategy, none of them can independently fulfill the task of building a strong brand. The author draws across disciplines all theories, experiences, and methods that contribute to this task, forming a comprehensive process system. In the past, brand strategy management was just a slogan, but this book turns it into reality. A practical tool book on brand strategy management in China. The biggest difference between brand strategy management and brand strategy planning lies in its emphasis on brand strategy implementation, which is also the reason for the book's title "Practical Manual." The author dedicates significant space to describing how to adjust organizational structures, optimize business processes, and introduce performance management, as well as how to construct brand alliances, develop brand licensing, and introduce brand franchising—traditional brand management has never touched upon or rarely addressed these aspects—only to execute. A breakthrough in overcoming the "bottleneck" of group brand management in China. For a long time, group brand management has been like a ship sailing in the dark sea and a neglected Cinderella, with flowers and applause given only to brand managers of individual brands, never realizing that the true heroes are those who bear the burden of managing the entire brand portfolio. This book will give these unsung heroes recognition and praise. It may also be an easy-to-use "dummy book," with all content structured around the 5W1H framework, aiming for easy understanding and reflection; all strategies provide detailed processes, making practical work easier; and all tools provide tables, ensuring direct application.
"Introduction to Brand Strategy Management" is a key, though perhaps not the most important, as without it, you might not be able to enter the author's world. The author, who is also the reader, believes that dedicating an entire book to "brand ABC" is a great insult to readers' intelligence. Therefore, the basics of branding and brand management are summarized in "A Mandatory Lesson in Brand Management" in the first chapter, and nothing more is mentioned afterward to avoid self-deception. Traditional brand management models have already become severely dysfunctional, and minor fixes are utterly useless. We urgently need to launch a "strategic management revolution" in the field of brand management. Whether it is right or wrong, you can draw your own conclusions from "Chapter 2: Traditional Brand Management Gives Way to Brand Strategy Management."
"Part II: Group Brand Strategy Management" may be the most valuable part of the book, as traditional brand management has always focused only on individual brands and involved only brand departments, overlooking brand portfolios and group companies. Anyone with basic common sense knows that the strategy of business units must be guided by the overall strategy of the group, yet traditional brand management lacks this "overall strategy," which is absurd but still believed by many. "Chapter 3: Group Brand Strategy Management Is a Minefield" describes the dilemma of headquarters managers who feel a sense of mission toward brands but don't know where to start, offering a basic solution for group brand strategy management. Of course, how to handle relationships with business units in brand strategy management is also very important. "Chapter 4: Step 1: Determining the Grand Mission of the Brand Portfolio" is the first step after the starting gun is fired. Almost all brand managers are unaware that brands have a "mission," or they casually brush it off as "building strong brands," but this casual approach inevitably leads to their own downfall. For a group, having one or two strong brands is not something to be proud of; only a balanced and dynamic brand portfolio can bring peace of mind. The following "Chapter 5: Step 2: Managing High-Performance Brand Portfolios" is like a lullaby. A brand portfolio is like a woman, constantly reinventing herself in response to changing environments. Managers who dream of growth can refer to "Chapter 6: Step 3: Determining the Growth Blueprint of the Brand Portfolio" to plan their "roadmap." A bag of potatoes together is still a bag of potatoes, but the biggest trap in a brand portfolio lies in the lack of horizontal connections between brands, making them easy targets for individual attacks. Those who share the idea of "unity is strength" will find their kind in "Chapter 7: Step 4: Strengthening Synergy Within the Brand Portfolio."
Brand strategy is implemented by people, and the role of people is determined by organizational structure. Too many poor executions have already caused us deep wounds and pain, so brand strategy starts with execution, and execution starts with "Chapter 8: Step 5: Establishing a Brand-Focused Organization."
Brands are not just slogans; behind them are processes, and like organizations, business processes are also a key implementation factor. "Chapter 9: Step 6: Business Process-Driven Brand Strategy Implementation" helps us focus on this critical aspect. Without control, nothing matters. The final and most crucial step is how to implement brand strategy management in every person, every day, and in every task. "Chapter 10: Performance Management for Brand Strategy Implementation" is a delicate "remote control" for this purpose.
"Part III: SBU Brand Strategy Management" will bring relief to most readers, as this content returns to the familiar territory of traditional brand management. But is it really that simple? "Chapter 11: SBU Brand Management: Easy to Say, Hard to Do" may complicate simple issues, but simplicity often hides the extraordinary. As Zhang Ruimin said, "Doing the simple thing a thousand times is extraordinary." The wisdom of the sages is awe-inspiring. Traditional brand analysis is either incomplete or seemingly comprehensive yet fragmented. "Chapter 12: Action Program 1: SCP Strategic Brand Analysis to Navigate the Fog" provides a fresh perspective, allowing us to see more clearly. Including marketing, without basic strategies, life is unbearable. Despite inevitable controversy and ridicule, the author attempts to establish clear brand strategy types in "Chapter 13: Action Program 2: The Four Basic Brand Strategies of Life and Death." May the discerning recognize it.
Under the advocacy of Aaker, brand identity has almost become synonymous with brand strategy (though the author does not agree). "Chapter 14: Action Program 3: Brand Identity Design—Painting the Dragon's Finishing Touch" corrects the existing "brand identity model" and strives to make it operationally oriented.
Brand identity cannot enter customers' minds without communication. "Chapter 15: Action Program 4: Leveraging IMC to Soar in Brand Promotion" aims to fly as high as the heart desires.
When it comes to brand value enhancement, many immediately think of brand extension, but brand extension is just one member of the brand enhancement family. To see the true faces of the other members, you might as well open "Chapter 16: Action Program 5: Four Enhancement Strategies to Double Brand Value."
Relationship management has always been an "outsider" in marketing. Though often mentioned, it is easily forgotten. But a brand without relationship management lacks loyalty. The answer to this tricky problem is not floating in the wind but in "Chapter 17: Action Program 6: The Path to Lasting Brand Solidification."