The Importance of Brand Planning

Brand planning is an important but time-consuming activity which, if undertaken in a thorough manner involving discussion, will result in a clear vision about how resource employed to sustain the brand’s differential advantage; unfortunately, it is only a minority of organizations who undertake brand planning. Without well-structured brand plans there is the danger of what we call brand ‘vandalism’. Junior brand manages are given ‘training’ by making them responsible for specific brands. Their planning horizons tend to be in terms of a couple of years(i.e. the period before they move on) and their focus tends to be on the tactical issues of advertising, pack design and tailor-made brand motions for the trade. At best this results in ‘fire fighting defensive rather than offensive brand plan. The core values of the brand are in danger of being diluted through excessive brand promotion. For example, one of the key core values of the Ribena brand is vitamin C, yet by extending the brand’ into other fruits (e.g. berry) this is weakening the brand’s proposition and potentially weakening the brand’s strength.

Internally, organizations may be oblivious of the fact that they are hindering brand development. Clearly, by not preparing well documented strategic brand plans, firms are creating their own obstacles to success. Some characteristics that internally hinder any chance of brand success are

• Brand planning is based on little more than extrapolations from the previous few years.
• When it doesn’t look as if the annual budget is going to be reached, quarter 4 sees brand investment bearing cut (i.e. advertising market research, etc.).
• The marketing manager is unable to delegate responsibility and is too involved in tactical issues.
• Brand managers see their current positions as good training grounds for no more than two years.
• Strategic thinking consists of a retreat once a year with the advertising agency and sales managers, to a one-day meeting concerned with next year’s brand plans.
• A profitability analysis for each major customer is rarely undertaken.
• New product activity consists of different pack sizes and rapidly developing ‘me-too’ offers.
• The promotions budget is strongly biased towards below the-line promotional activity, supplemented only occasionally with advertising.
• Marketing documentation is available to the advertising agency on a ‘need to know’ basis only.

Brand strategy development must involve all levels of marketing management and stands a better chance of success when all the other relevant internal departments and external agencies are actively involved. It must progress on the basis of all parties being kept aware of progress.

British Airways exemplify the notion of brand development as an integrating process, having used this to achieve a greater customer focus. For example, the simple operation of taking a few seats out of an aircraft can be done with confidence, as engineering are consulted about safety implications, finance work out the long-term revenue implication, scheduling explore capacity implications and the cabin crew adjust their in-flight service routines.