THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE OF BRAND CONSOLIDATION

Look at the business
perspective

Nothing is more challenging than brand
consolidation.

You are working with successful
brands that have productive franchises
and have been productive for years. You
may be working with under-performing
brands, yet even under-performing brands
have franchises. And all brands have customers,
prospects, channel partners, stakeholders and influencers, many of whom will be passionate about their brands, some aggressively so.

Whatever direction you take, the key factor will be change, always a tough issue for companies, executives and stakeholders. But gathering information and insights is the first step to moving forward and respecting everyone's vested interests, major players included.

As a planner, start by analyzing the business situation. To learn the most in the fastest possible way, seek quality input from leaders in your company -- people in management, design, manufacturing, finance, sales and marketing, distribution, channel management and customer service.

Ask your people key questions:

What advantages or benefits do we receive from our brand portfolio as it is positioned today?

What are the downside issues?

Can we afford to support, maintain and maximize the impact of competing, overlapping and duplicate brands?

Can we improve our position and performance by rationalizing and consolidating brands?

Or by adding new ones?

If so, how?

Answers to these questions will provide valuable inputs from people who know your business and know how customers, partners, and prospects relate to your brands. The same answers will also reveal how your leadership thinks.

Understanding both upside potential and downside risk helps build a consolidation platform based on reality. Next, look at individual brands.

Do your brand homework >