What is Brand Management & Process? [Step by Step Process Explained]

In my experience, the term “brand” is often tossed around in business and marketing without a deep understanding of its true essence. To truly drive business growth, appreciating the significance of a brand and delving into what the brand management process entails, specifically “what is strategic brand management process,” has been crucial for me. 

A brand extends beyond mere logos or symbols; it encapsulates how people perceive a product, individual, or company. It’s about evoking sentiments and establishing emotional connections with consumers, distinct from products that merely fulfill needs. 

Consider Apple an exemplary brand not solely due to its products but for the values and emotions it represents. In my journey, I’ve found that brands, intangible in nature, are molded by perceptions, and brand management is the process of carefully shaping these perceptions. Essentially, the brand management process revolves around strategically curating how your brand is perceived in the market. 

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What is brand management?

Brand management is a marketing process of building and managing a better brand image. Over time, it involves techniques and strategies to increase a brand or product line’s perceived value. The primary aim of brand management is to add value to a brand by enabling the price of products to go up while building a loyal customer base through solid brand awareness and positive brand associations. 

Effective brand management helps an organisation or company differentiate its products from competitors, attract more customers, and build a better relationship with the target market.

The importance of strategic brand management cannot be overstated. It plays a crucial role in establishing and maintaining a positive brand image, which is fundamental for building brand equity. Strategic brand management helps differentiate a brand from its competitors and is essential in fostering customer loyalty and trust. By carefully planning and executing brand strategies, businesses can effectively manage how they are perceived in the marketplace and ensure long-term success.

What are the key Functions of Brand Management?

Strategic brand management is key to driving positive brand awareness and strengthening customer relationships. But how? Here’s a list of brand management functions:

• Identifying the target market and the factors that influence their purchasing behaviour
• Building a brand identity that aligns with the market image of the brand and accommodating new brand identity needs from time to time
• Developing a brand message that resonates with the offerings’ value proposition and the needs of the target market
• Communicating the brand message to the target customers and handling brand communication in the market
• Building brand equity and measuring it from time to time

What are the four steps involved in the Strategic Brand Management Process?

Strategic brand management revolves around building brand equity and ensuring its growth over time. Therefore, the brand management process involves the planning, executing, and controlling marketing and branding strategies, including activities to promote brand equity building, measurement, and control.

The four main steps in strategic brand management process :

1. Identification and establishment of brand positioning and values
2. Design and execution of brand marketing programmes
3. Measurement and evaluation of brand performance
4. Growth and sustenance of brand equity

1. Identification and establishment of brand positioning and values

Brand positioning plays a critical role in communicating a brand’s unique value to its customers and dictates customer preferences and buying behaviour. As a result, it serves as the basis for customer loyalty. Therefore, the first step of a strategic brand management process entails a clear understanding of what a brand should represent and how it should be positioned with competitors. It usually involves the following concepts:

• Mental maps: A point-of-view perception of the different brand-linked associations in the consumer’s mind.
• Points of parity: Convincing customers that an offering similar to a competitor makes the brand good enough for inclusion in the category.
• Points of difference: Convincing consumers that the benefits they associate with a brand would not be found in a competitor brand.
• Brand mantra: A short phrase capturing the brand spirit.
• Core brand associations: Attributes that best characterise a brand.
• The frame of reference: Recognising the target market and identifying the nature of competition.

2. Design and execution of brand marketing programmes

Once the brand management team has figured out the positioning strategy, the next step involves planning and implementing marketing programmes to position the brand. The steps involved here are as follows:

• Creating brand elements: Brand elements refer to the brand names, logos, symbols, URLs, taglines, packaging, etc., that identify and differentiate a brand from its competitors. Customers associate most with brand elements, facilitating brand awareness and associations.
• Choosing brand marketing activities: Integrating brand management activities create favourable and strong brand associations.
• Tapping secondary associations: This involves linking the brand to characters, countries, sporting and cultural events, distribution channels, and the like to improve the brand equity.

3. Measurement and evaluation of brand performance

Measurement and evaluation of brand performance are essential to understand the impact of various brand marketing programmes. It involves developing and implementing a system to measure brand equity or social value. To implement a brand equity measurement system, marketers need to complete the following steps:

• Brand auditing: A brand audit is an overall evaluation of the brand’s current market position with respect to its competitors. Conducting a brand audit involves an assessment of the strengths and limitations of the brand and suggesting ways to improve brand equity.
• Brand tracking: Brand tracking studies directly collect brand-related information from consumers over time. It helps measure a brand’s current health regarding consumers’ perception and usage.
• Brand equity management system: It refers to a set of tools and research processes designed to identify the sources and consequences of brand equity. It enables marketers to develop the best possible tactics for building, measuring, and managing brand equity. 

4. Growth and sustenance of brand equity

Once the brand equity has been built, the real challenge is sustaining and expanding it overtime to ensure that the brand grows. It is a continuous process and involves the following steps:

• Establish brand architecture: Defining the brand architecture means setting down general guidelines about the brand structure, brand elements, and branding strategy. It includes brand portfolio and brand hierarchy. Brand portfolio lists the different brands a company has to offer, and brand hierarchy is the number and nature of unique and common brand elements across the firm’s products.
• Manage brand equity in the long run: It involves marketing decisions that will affect the brand equity in the long run and determine the success of future marketing programmes.
• Reinforce and revitalise: The ultimate step to ensure the growth and sustainability of brand equity is to make the best possible tactical decisions to ensure that a brand continues to enjoy its sources of equity. It involves brand reinforcement to convey the brand image to consumers consistently and brand revitalisation to either recapture lost sources of brand equity or identify and establish new ones.

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What is the difference between Brand Management & Brand Marketing? 

Here’s a concise comparison between Brand Management and Brand Marketing 

What is the importance of Innovations in Brand Management? 

In today’s dynamic business landscape, embracing innovations is crucial for effective brand management. Here are key pointers highlighting the significance of innovations in brand management: 

• Competitive Edge: Innovations give brands a competitive advantage by distinguishing them from competitors, fostering uniqueness in the market. 
• Adaptability: Brands that innovate can quickly adapt to evolving consumer trends and preferences, ensuring relevance and resonance. 
• Consumer Engagement: Innovative brand strategies enhance consumer engagement, creating memorable experiences that foster brand loyalty. 
• Market Leadership: Pioneering innovations position a brand as a market leader, influencing consumer perceptions and establishing industry authority. 
• Brand Perception: Consistent innovations shape a positive brand image, portraying the brand as forward-thinking and committed to continuous improvement. 
• Strategic Growth: Innovations open avenues for strategic growth, allowing brands to explore new markets, diversify offerings, and expand their influence. 

By prioritizing innovation, brands not only survive but thrive in a rapidly changing business environment, solidifying their position as industry leaders. 

Conclusion: 

In my experience, brand management is a pivotal factor in molding a brand, with its diverse strategies offering crucial support for long-term sustainability. The process involves identifying, establishing, and maintaining brand equity, contributing significantly to the corporate image. Understanding “What is Brand Management Process” is essential for effectively managing brand perception and market positioning.

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