Brand Planning Advice: Where are we now?

Brand Valuation/Assessment Understanding, measuring and using brand equity Describes Millward Brown's proprietary research system, an approach designed to place a financially-related value on the consumer-based equity of brand images and associations. Measuring the true value of brands Discusses brand 'equity' or 'value' in terms of consumer behaviour and attitudes. Argues that brand size alone cannot be the sole yardstick of brand equity: customer commitment is also important. Customer Analysis U&A / segmentation Understanding the customer's relationship with a brand; the role of market segmentation in building stronger brands Most segmentation studies focus on describing different groups of consumers without reference to the real marketing issues. This paper shows how using brand relationships as key to segmentation leads to better understanding. Understanding buyer behaviour in the 21st century Describes a qualitative research project studying consumer behaviour in UK and US. The background is that consumer attitudes have changed, so that consumers are far more questioning and willing to exploit their buying power. People are different if you know how to look Explores the use of segmentation in marketing from the viewpoint that it is not always as helpful as it might be, because some categories may be relatively homogeneous, people have varying need states, and additional factors may further complicate the picture. Brand loyalty / satisfaction Brand loyalty: the link between attitude and behaviour This article reports on the results of a major R&D initiative to redefine brand loyalty and verify its importance. Market Analysis Market structure, brand effectiveness and the profitable approach to new products and line extensions A technical article, describing the Hendry Corporation's approach to market modelling, using a process designed to identify the patterns of competition within and across product classes. The article describes a systematic and useful way of looking at markets. Winning in a converging world As the traditional pattern of competition between industries breaks down, competition is likely to emerge from anywhere and in unexpected forms. But few companies have integrated this into their strategic thinking. Competitive Analysis Marketing rivalry in an age of hyper-competition Argues that the traditional SWOT analysis is no longer adequate for today's fast-changing competitive landscape. A new method for appraising competition is needed, and a proposed approach is described.

In this section Brand valuation / assessment Customer analysis Market analysis Competitive analysis