We are in the world of parity where everything tends to be equal, and the world marketplace is a world of commodities. The availability of new technologies has enabled companies to easily replicate the products, systems, services, and processes of others, generating a huge strategic problem for businesses of differentiation. Added to this problem is the rapidly decreasing life cycle of products, in some cases now down to a matter of weeks.

Strong brand alleviate these problems. They differentiate companies and products from their companies, make access to new markets and industries easier, provide returns on investment worth multiples of the value of the net assets of business through an endless stream of profits, and – best of all – have no life cycle if they are looked after and managed well.

Powerful brands, when nurtured and managed properly, give companies longevity and the potential for immortality. Coca-cola is nearly 120 years old, and Tide washing powder is over 50 years old, but both are still leaders in their chosen markets, despite intensive competition. Powerful brands such as these wouldn’t have lasted so long without careful management, and it is brand management that this book is about.

Good brand management helps make strong brands and great customer relationships, but it is surprising that many companies still pay little attention to the management of their brands, compared to the meticulous way in which they manage other aspects of their business. One reason for this might be that in many parts of the world, brand management is still fairly new to marketers. In Asia, for example, it is only recently that the power of branding has been understood, and there are many young people who find themselves in senior positions having had little brand management experience. Not that this situation is peculiar to the Far East. Branding itself is still an evolutionary concept, and the techniques associated with managing brands are also developing and emerging.

This book is intended to help all those people who have brand-related responsibilities, from CEOs to product managers, by providing a comprehensive guide to the different elements involved in brand management, including examples of good and not-so-good practice from around the world. The management of a brand is no easy task because of the dynamic nature of the forces that impact on markets. It is not a theoretical concept one can learn quickly – it is highly practical in nature – and so the book focuses on lots of practical examples and cases so that readers can learn from the experience of others.

It will provide you with answers to many of the main issues facing brand builders and managers, such as:

Should the brand vision replace the corporate vision?
Should the brand determine business strategy, or vice versa?
What returns of investment do brands bring?
How can the long-term and short-term demands of the business
be accommodated in brand management?
Should brands be proactive or reactive, strategic or tactical?
How is it possible to gain a strong and sustainable brand position
and differentiation in crowded markets?
How are decisions made to reposition brands, revitalise them,
or let them die?
How are brands revitalised?
How far can a brand be stretched, and what are the pitfalls to avoid?
What roles do emotion and attitude play in brand management
and development?
What impact do new technologies have on brand management
and consumer relationships?
How is brand management different in the physical and virtual worlds?
What options are available for organising and structuring the brand
management process?
What role should the CEO play in brand building and management?
How can we use our limited budgets to best advantage?
What trends are taking place in brand communications?
How can we create a brand culture so that everyone lives the brand?
How can we measure the success of our brand(s)?
What tools and checklists are needed in brand management?

Just to give a flavour of what is to come in the book, here is a light-hearted, but nevertheless accurate, view of just a few of the decisions and situations that face those whose job is to manage a brand.