Leveraging Brand Assets by Understanding Brand Architecture-Imperatives for FMCG Sector for Competitive Edge in India

The brand-is-an-island trap refers to the implicit assumption that brand strategy involves the creation of a strong brand like Hewlett-Packard, IBM, 3M, Tide, Coca cola, Ivory of P & G and Lux brand of HUL in India. Creation of Strong brands by developing clear, insightful identities and brand building programs that make an impact is of prime importance, of course. In India, consumer markets are growing at frenetic pace and plethora of brands and product variants available at street corners to malls in metros and remote rural places. If we consider the scenario of India then the problem of brand architecture prevails due to market complexity and brand confusion in the FMCG sector. The gone are the days when selected brands were ruling the market and marketers seldom bother for creating own marketing space. Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization and GATT/WTO regime pose stern challenges for the marketers of FMCG products in India. Apart, retail transformation, economy growth and Infrastructure growth opened new avenues which require contemplation for the growth drivers. Retail shelf-space also adds in the intricacy and bewildering situations for the marketers of FMCG products in India. All these thought-provoking issues compel the marketers of FMCG products for brand architecture as an imperative in the break-necking pace of Brand Proliferation. Vigilant Brand Architecture resolve these issues to some extent, because it becomes vehicles by which the brand team functions as a unit to create synergy, clarity and Leverage. Succinctly, Brand Architecture focuses on five main stream viz. brand Portfolio, Product Market Context roles, Portfolio roles, Portfolio Graphics and Brand Portfolio structure. The probable elucidation for these problems may be Powerful Brands, Optimal allocation of brand building resources, synergy (in creating visibility, association building, and efficiency), clarity of offerings, leveraged brand assets, platform for future growth options. The paper encompasses literature review of all these aspects and zero down the leveraged brand assets aspect and its role in brand architecture. The paper will also encompasses findings of primary research for selected FMCG categories and support the research work for some inferences and concrete actionable ideas for the marketers of FMCG products in India.