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New Issues in Branding

Few will disagree with the fact that a good branding strategy is the cornerstone of any major marketing plan.  But in this age of acquisitions and online commerce, crafting an effective plan has become more and more challenging.  There are many more elements to consider, such as when to keep an old brand alive, or how to present a number of imprints or subsidiaries as one corporation without alienating certain audiences.  The following are some recent issues that have become more prevalent with the changing marketplace:

Website Branding
Your company is conducting more and more of its business online and your website allows you to take advantage of some unique opportunities for visibility.  However, it's important to keep in mind that your online presence is an extension of your company and its existing brand.  Because of its dynamic properties, it can be tempting to design something completely new for a website just because you have the ability to do so.  However, keep in mind that whatever you post on your site has to fall in line with the rest of your marketing strategy.

Acquisitions and Affiliates
You've taken on a number of new imprints that have loyal audiences.  You want to convey the message that these names are now part of your product offering, however you don't want to lose the customers who have stuck by these brands for years.  How do you balance the two?

The supplemental division of Pearson Education--which currently consists of seven imprints--Pearson Learning Group is careful to consider the wants of the end-user before making a decision on how each of its products will be presented.  In most cases the original brands of the imprints have remained intact, and in some cases--Plaid Phonics, for example--the names of the products themselves have taken on brand status.

"Your brand should take into account what it is that's of value to the customer," says Dan Caton, president of Pearson Learning Group.  "Figure out what they want to be loyal to, and then go from there."

International Branding
Your marketplace is rapidly expanding and you're beginning to go global with some of your products.  Knowing the foreign markets will differ from that of the US, you may feel the need to alter your product or its packaging.  However this could be detrimental to sales, says John Kilcullen, president/publisher of VNU Music and Literary Group and originator of the "...for Dummies" line.

"Originally, we didn’t know the local market, so we let our foreign translation partners package the book the way they felt matched," said Kilcullen in an AEP virtual seminar presentation last year.  "[But we found] once we had the same package, same titling, same messaging, same internal design...we actually had a four-times increase in sales."

As almost anyone will tell you, consistency is the key to any successful branding strategy.  In fact, according to Kilcullen, it takes 10 to 20 years to build a solid, recognizable brand.  The key to staying true to that brand is to avoid becoming reactive in a marketplace that is changing every day.

Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349.

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