What is brand management? Brand management methods. P Scientific foundations of brand management. Brand management as a system

The development of a new brand is a complex process that requires certain efforts from the entrepreneur, no matter how much experience he has behind him. Consistency and consistency will be the main guidelines, especially at the beginning of brand promotion. Perhaps, building a brand can be compared to building a house, since planning, design and quality assurance are indispensable here.

The first impression of the brand affects the further success and recognition from the buyer. In the flower business, brand management occupies a special place, as high competition and the sale of goods with a short shelf life oblige businessmen to be aware of marketing trends.

Beginners have a hard time: in addition to optimizing the internal mechanisms, they need to effectively present the flower brand in the general market.

Now there is a lot of literature and author's methods for promoting brands, the authors even identify special branding mechanisms for different business areas. We have summarized the most important rules of brand management so that you do not waste time looking for the right information and aim for the absolute success of your flower shop.

First, let's deal with the "foundation" of a strong brand, that is, let's talk about the special promotion of your products in the competitor's market.

What is brand management, which we have already mentioned above? If you know the answer, then you are well prepared to launch your flower business!

Successful communication with consumers will help in obtaining their loyalty: in our time it is important to anticipate the desires of the target audience, to find common ground with it.

Company face

The first thing you should pay attention to when starting a business is brand image. It is the visual image and the overall attractive picture that enters into the first dialogue with buyers. It should attract attention so that customers know about the existence of the brand and, if necessary, can easily recognize it or remember it. Brand image is defined by marketers as all the advantages of a product that are easily remembered by the consumer.

The unique design of the product guarantees its recognition. Obviously, the flowers cannot be marked in any way. It is unlikely that anyone is looking for a bouquet in which each bud has a branded store stamp. Therefore, direct all your creative energy towards creating the overall concept of the flower brand, namely the logo.

The logo combines color, font, and the general idea of ​​your flower business. This is a symbol that provides a consumer advantage. Funny cartoons or funny cartoon characters are not the best choice for a flower brand. It is better to fill the corporate symbol of the company with useful information about the quality of flowers and services for the buyer.

Azalea company logo

Use of the logo on employee clothing

A solid color or a combination of several shades should be associated with the buyer with your store. The font, as well as the color, should "catch" attention. Unique and aesthetic symbols will evoke positive emotions and approval from buyers.

If you plan to trade, say, only Ecuadorian roses, then the content of the logo should be appropriate. It makes no sense to place, say, tulips or peonies, if the client still does not find them on the counter. Such trifles negatively affect the confidence of buyers, as they feel that the seller is cheating. Try to immediately choose the best tandem of content, color and font!

We never cease to remind you how important it is to know the preferences of your target audience.

It is your flowers that must meet the expectations of buyers. Only in this case it is possible to plan future business development steps. A successful brand harmoniously combines functional, social and emotional character. An ordinary outlet will become a brand when the buyer independently understands the need for it. A bouquet can be a symbol of something, signify a new life stage or express the sincere feelings of the giver.

Unfortunately, at the moment there is no universal formula for the balance between functional, social and emotional in a single brand. But you can use marketing analysis tools or conduct customer surveys to better understand the reasons for their purchases.

Brand benefits show its value to the consumer. A business owner must ask himself an important question: what would change in a society if its flowers suddenly disappeared? To answer, it is necessary to determine the mission of the flower brand, namely, why it exists on the market. The task of the florist is to make his store an integral part of the daily life of customers. Birthdays, name days, weddings and even funerals – there is a suitable flower arrangement for every occasion.

Who is this for?

Do not forget about the image of the consumer. As a rule, a flower company knows its consumer well, therefore, from the very beginning, it adjusts its working principles and visual image to specific market segments. It is important to quickly help the client find exactly what he needs.

This is especially true for wholesalers, that is, business people value every minute of their time and, of course, will pay attention to a supplier who accepts and fulfills orders with deliveries faster than competitors. The well-known phrase “time is money” perfectly describes how the flower business model works. Work with public opinion! It's easier than it seems at first glance. Your product may drive consumer ratings. People are much more willing to trust reviews from customers like them. The presence of reliable positive reviews will have a positive effect on sales.

Now that we have decided on the first steps in developing a flower brand, let's move on to the most important part of this process. It's about positioning.

Positioning is the place that the store will occupy in the mind of the buyer.

You have to convince each client that your flowers are the freshest, highest quality, affordable and only found in this particular store. Without a clear positioning, you will not be able to create a general concept for a flower shop. Forget modesty! Why is it if you are ready to personally answer for the freshness of each bud?

Flower shop brand management is a complex process that affects both external and internal mechanisms for the development of a flower business. All of the above features refer to external image development techniques, but what can be attributed to internal ones? Naturally, a flower shop consists of more than just plants on display and a cash register. People play an important role in any business. How do employees, suppliers and partners perceive the image of the store? All of the above features relate to the external image of the flower shop. But effective brand management is a complex process that includes both external and internal features. How is your store positioned for its employees and suppliers?

Try to constantly develop the flower business so that its employees develop along with the brand. Encourage innovation, improve the skills of florists, create bonus programs that encourage the enthusiasm of sellers.

Experiment with new lines of business. For example, expand your standard shelf range with exotic flowers or potted plants. Be sure to maintain direct and feedback communication with your customers. If your financial indicators allow, try opening a second outlet in another area of ​​the city. Consider the specifics of the new target audience.

So you will have the opportunity to create and develop a small network of flower outlets. This fact in itself takes the brand image to a new level.

A flower brand, like any other kind of brand, requires control and management. Marketers use special mechanisms to promote the image of products and services, which include: brand idea, market research, competition analysis, creative advertising campaigns. As a business owner, don't be afraid to get involved in sales management. Try to personally know all the niches of the store in order to make the right decision if necessary.

But it is not worth completely shifting all the tasks of promotion to yourself. It is better to hire a professional brand manager who will professionally promote the store at different levels and platforms. A brand manager is not engaged in direct sales, his main task is to promote flowers under a specific brand, turn them into a desirable product, and turn your store logo into a guarantee of quality. The flower business will bring year-round income, if from the first days of its existence you invest your own strength in it and regularly finance it. Remember, business is impossible without risks, creativity and a creative approach to solving cases.

The position of a brand manager (sometimes a product manager), a person responsible for the growth and development of a particular brand or product line, can be increasingly found today in large and medium-sized companies.

The head of the company should pay attention to the fact that over time, the brand manager begins to less and less manage his brand or product line, and more and more is engaged in local management of the sales department.

The company's management requires the brand manager to grow and develop the product line (the entire brand line). The brand manager is considered as the main specialist in this product, who is best versed in the product, its properties, and differences. He is better than others aware of the intrigues of competitors and the strengths and weaknesses of their products. He finds new markets by relentlessly segmenting and differentiating markets, products and customers. He is the main inspirer (and in fact, kicker) of sales and purchases. The brand manager is the one who, after all, can be questioned for everything that has even a hint of the name of his product.

The brand manager, as a rule, does not have real authority to influence the employees of the sales and purchasing departments, so he spends a significant part of his time building relationships, and most often "persuading" or thinking out how to get his company's employees to do something that will increase sales. his directions.

Leadership needs quick and visible results, but be careful not to change concepts. So that the brand manager does not simply become the best seller of his product. He knows him best of all and he needs to sell him the most, so let him sell - the position of management, which is the main reason for the gradual reduction of the influence of the brand manager on the organization and management of the development of his product line.

As time passes, the company's management asks quite fair questions - why is the brand manager so poorly aware of the situation with competitors, where are the new super-successful products, who forces the purchasing department to improve the terms of supply for this product group, why is the brand manager not thoroughly aware of the situation with customers … After all, this position was created precisely to resolve such issues. “And, in general, a brand manager will not do it until you tell him…”

And the brand manager is already responsible for everything that is at least indirectly related to his product, so he does not have time to fully do anything. He is involved in dozens of business processes, in each of which he controls something, asks something, instructs someone, receives a report from someone, sends data somewhere, follows someone. It is an important link in the normal (not some super-efficient, but just normal) functioning of its product group.

Therefore, after some time, it will happen that either the competence of the brand manager will be called into question, or he will have an assistant.

In the above diagram, I want to highlight the main tasks that should be in the work plan of the brand manager and which he should pay close attention to in the daily routine.


1. "Sell" the brand to employees and top officials of your company. Instill confidence in them and infect them with love for the brand.
2. "Sell" the brand to distributors.
3. Develop and execute a brand development plan.
4. Position the brand in such a way as to provide it with advantageous differences and advantages compared to competitors.
5. Develop and implement activities to establish a close relationship between the brand and target customers.
6. Design and implement brand loyalty programs.
7. Carry out activities aimed at increasing brand awareness, both within your company and among buyers and consumers.
8. Develop brand standards and don't let anyone break them.
9. Manage brand capital, increase its value.
10. Provide patent and legal brand protection.
11. Fanatically loving your brand.

Ensure that the brand manager does only the work for which he was appointed to this position and do not let the rest of the company push duties and responsibilities onto him just because the brand manager "needs it the most."

Based on training materials

7.1. Development and implementation of brand management in the organization

At present, many heads of domestic organizations, as well as heads of Western companies, have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to create and promote a brand on the market, which contributes to the stable development of organizations in a competitive environment. That is, there comes a time when it becomes obvious that it is necessary to concentrate efforts not on promoting a product or service as such, but on developing and promoting your brand as a whole.

A brand, in fact, is not an idea about a product, but an idea of ​​the value of this product. The main parameters by which a brand can be characterized are indicators of consumer attitude towards it, for example, value, sustainability, loyalty, image perception. Therefore, when developing a brand, its creators must take into account not only the conscious reaction of potential consumers, but also the emotional coloring of this reaction.

However, the brand itself cannot act as a guarantor of the organization's competitiveness.

In order for a brand to work effectively for an organization, you need to be able to manage it. By competently managing a brand, you can achieve a lot, for example:

1) stabilize the volume of sales in the market in question and create a sustainable image of the product or service in the eyes of consumers;

2) increase profits by expanding the range of goods and creating a common image for a group of goods or services;

4) take into account three important aspects when developing advertising: history, today's realities, forecasts for the future. However, effective brand management is a rather complicated matter, it depends on professional knowledge, the ability to work with various types of intellectual property, trademarks, design, and texts.

Some organizations independently resolve all issues related to the creation and promotion of the brand. In such cases, branding is sometimes handled by the marketing department. But more often, to achieve greater efficiency, branding management is entrusted to a third-party professional organization that specializes in this, such as an advertising agency.

In general, branding is a joint creative activity of an advertising agency and a manufacturing organization based on the results of marketing research, aimed at the development and large-scale implementation of a brand image in the mind of the consumer - a characteristic image of a product or group of products.

In order to increase the effectiveness of brand management, manufacturing organizations that are independently engaged in brand management need to choose one of two development paths: creating a department that performs the functions of a full-service advertising agency, or a marketing and consulting company, the so-called brand incubator.

The brand management department, organized in the image of a full-service advertising agency, recruits people who own creative professions (artists, designers) and people who specialize in the preparation and development of advertising campaigns and other marketing communications. In view of the daily work with a wide range of marketing situations and problems, the employees of the department acquire the competence and qualifications that allow them to ensure a high pace and level of brand development. In addition to creative people, businessmen should also work in the department, who deal with the application of creative potential to purely practical needs.

As a rule, these are market and media analysts. They must be aware of all new advertising technologies and navigate the prices and current production issues.

In general, the following functions are assigned to the brand management department:

These functions determine its structure. Thus, it is advisable to divide it into subdivisions according to the functions performed. As a rule, the following divisions are distinguished:

1) division of creative development and production of advertising products;

2) division of media content planning (advertising media, acquisition of advertising space in the media);

3) division of marketing researches.

Let's take a closer look at these divisions.

The main function of the creative division of the brand management department is to develop ideas for advertising content, which forms the basis of advertising campaigns.

In the minds of people, the words "creative" and "organized" are often considered opposite in meaning and even mutually exclusive. However, both of these components of the development of advertising content must be present simultaneously. To do this, the project coordinator must be flexible in terms of organizing creativity, as well as strict and strict in controlling the quality and timing of production.

Typically, this unit includes the following employees:

1) creative director;

2) manager of creative works division;

3) artistic director;

5) producer;

6) designers;

7) artists;

8) specialists in preparing media products for broadcast.

The work of this unit can be divided into four characteristic stages:

2) agreement on the general direction of the creative concept;

3) approval of the concept with the creative team and responsible for the brand;

4) after agreement, the artistic director and copywriters work with employees directly involved in the production of printed materials and preparing them for broadcast.

For the manufacture of products, the organization may turn to third-party specialists from advertising agencies on a contract basis.

The media content planning division is responsible for planning and placing advertising content at the right time and in the “right” media, in order to reach the target audience as efficiently and accurately as possible, while keeping costs to a minimum. In order for the advertising module to work effectively, you need to correctly distribute the media channels through which it will be distributed. Thus, the main task of this division is to place advertising in such a way that it has an impact on the maximum number of potential consumers, who are the target audience, with minimal advertising costs.

The structure of this subsection is as follows:

1) media director (head);

2) media planners (engaged in media planning);

3) media buyers (engaged in the acquisition of advertising space);

4) media researchers (engaged in media analysis);

5) traffic managers (they are engaged in monitoring the release of advertising).

The main task of the marketing research unit is to analyze the desires, needs, motives and ideas of a potential consumer. To do this, it is necessary to solve such tasks as:

1) analysis of secondary information collected by other research and monitoring companies;

2) production of own research (both qualitative and quantitative);

3) monitoring the dynamics of sales volume and other information.

As a rule, each employee of this division is engaged in a specific product and plays the role of an adviser to other employees.

In addition to the above studies, the division also monitors similar work by external contractors. Employees also develop questionnaires, conduct surveys and analyze their results, although surveys may be entrusted to a third-party firm.

According to the results of the research, the necessary adjustments are made in the creative concept.

Basically, the analysis can be divided into two parts: the analysis of consumer preferences and the analysis of media preferences.

It is advisable to conduct research before the development of advertising for accurate positioning on the target audience. Preliminary research and testing is also carried out to assess the possible reaction of the target audience to the developed advertising and post-study to evaluate the effectiveness of the advertising campaign.

Market analysis is one of the most important parts of all media planning decisions. The main thing is the selection of the target audience. Based on this, the strategy of media plans and advertising campaigns is chosen. Competent media planning is very important for increasing the competitiveness of an enterprise.

In essence, media planning is the process of finding the most effective way to communicate information about the brand in question to potential consumers. The main task of media planning is the formation of a good plan for an advertising campaign, according to which an advertising message aimed at a specific target audience will be transmitted to it at the right time, in the right place and in the right amount, without affecting other consumer segments. Thus, it is clear that media planning is the main stage of an advertising campaign.

The importance of the media content planning division is growing even more, as a result of the currently rapidly developing advertising market, since in this situation it is very important to create a competent media plan. In this sense, money should be invested not only in the purchase of direct advertising space to promote the brand, but also in the formation of an optimal advertising budget. It is also important to consider that in order to develop an effective media plan and form a suitable budget, it is imperative to use special programs and databases of media or marketing research. The lack of such information and experience in media planning in most organizations in the past has made it very difficult to develop effective advertising campaigns. Therefore, to create and promote the brand image of any company, it is necessary to have media content planners in the brand management department.

So, in the development of an advertising campaign, media planning plays a major role, which involves managing the advertising budget allocated for the purchase of advertising time and space. However, it is also important for brand management specialists to evaluate the role of the media plan in the overall marketing communication plan. Indeed, at different levels of development and different stages of the brand life cycle, media advertising plays a greater or lesser role. Here the work of specialists of the media content planning department is important, they must work out the media plan as an element that complements the overall communication of the marketing plan and increases its effectiveness. A competent media plan in this case should correspond to the main territorial and socio-demographic characteristics of the target segment, the characteristics of the available media and the market in order to avoid unnecessary spending on the advertising budget and reduce the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Such media planning for brand promotion should be provided by media metrics specialists in the brand management department. The functions performed by this department can be called strategic planning of marketing and marketing communications.

Moreover, the brand management department is responsible not only for strategic promotion planning, but also for planning other elements of the marketing complex - distribution channels, prices, goods, etc.

The department performs the functions of organizing distribution networks.

In addition, sometimes it is justified to create a new unit within the department in question - a strategic planning unit. This division assumes the functions of communication consulting on all aspects of the organization's marketing activities.

In the event that a unit feels that the information provided to it is not sufficient to develop a strategy, specialists formulate the main questions that need to be answered in order to successfully develop a marketing mix research program.

After agreement with the project coordinator, specialists from the strategic planning department submit the research program for implementation.

After processing the research program, the specialists of the department develop recommendations on the product, assortment, price, and marketing policy of the brand. These recommendations, in fact, constitute the brand strategy.

All employees involved in the project direct their activities towards the implementation of the developed strategy.

Thus, the main thing is formed - long-term preference for the product.

Schematically, the work of the department can be represented as follows.

Stage 1 - receiving general tasks from the project coordinator, which include goals and objectives in the field of production, long-term development, planned profit. These goals must be realistic and achievable.

Stage 2 - setting a task for the strategic planning unit based on the task of the project coordinator.

Stage 3 - setting the task for the research unit. At this stage, the information of the project coordinator, goals and objectives, and the list of outstanding issues are analyzed.

Stage 4 - preparation of research proposals, which include research methodology, cost, timing.

Stage 5 - approval of the research proposal within the department. Upon completion of the studies, their results are brought to the director of the strategic planning unit for internal approval of the document.

Stage 6 - coordination of the proposal with the project coordinator, who approves the program, including its main components - the tasks, questionnaires, research algorithms, time, place, cost of the research program.

Stage 7 - a "task for implementation" is formed, which is transferred to the head of the research unit, after which the implementation of the program begins.

Stage 8 - coordination of the research results within the brand management department. Occurs after the collection and processing of statistical data. Preliminary research report is being prepared. Appropriate corrections and additions are made to the report.

Stage 9 - approval of the research report by the project coordinator. After discussing the results with him, final corrections and additions are made. The report is approved in writing by the project coordinator.

Stage 10 - development of a brand strategy by the strategic planning unit. At the same time, they analyze and determine the target groups, brand positioning, recommendations for the development of the name, packaging, brand advertising modules, brand promotion strategy on the market, pricing and assortment policy.

Stage 11 - coordination of the developed strategy with the project coordinator and its approval.

Stage 12 - setting the task for the creative department. Requirements for the logo, packaging, brand advertising concept.

Stage 14 - upon completion of the development of the logo, name, packaging, advertising modules and media strategy, all these elements of brand management are agreed with the project coordinator and the strategic planning unit. Written approval by the project coordinator is required.

This structuring makes it much easier to control the implementation of the project. In addition, time limits for the completion of all stages should be established. This allows you to minimize the deviation from the deadlines set by management.

Many Russian companies already understand the need for changes in marketing communications and their importance for increasing the level of competitiveness of the organization. The leading role in this is played by the planning of brand promotion in the media, the so-called media planning.

By definition, media planning is the process of making interrelated decisions that determine how best to convey brand information to potential buyers. The main goal is to develop an advertising campaign plan, in which the advertising module will be delivered to the target audience at the optimal time, volume and place, excluding unnecessary impact on other people.

The main thing is to understand not only the need to purchase advertising space, but also the need for the optimal choice of advertising placement channels.

A set of media planning activities is the most important stage, since it is this process that regulates the main advertising costs.

Evaluation of the role of the media plan is an integral part of planning the advertising activities of the organization. When the need for complex communication arises, develop a marketing communication plan.

An analysis of the concept of media planning in Western countries and in Russia shows that in Russia media planning is based on Western experience, and often it completely repeats Western methods.

The main difference between brand management departments based on the brand incubator model is that this type of department is not involved in the development of a creative strategy for advertising campaigns, the production of promotional materials, and placement in the media. The brand incubator is exclusively engaged in the creation of a brand and the provision of consulting services related to its development. Due to the narrowness of specialization, a department based on the structure of a brand incubator can significantly reduce the cost of maintaining a team of specialists who are not directly involved in the consulting process, and, accordingly, reduce the overall cost of the project. The main functions of the brand incubator can be divided into the following groups.

1. Brand development, which focuses on meeting the brand's expectations of potential consumers. It is important to note that building a brand concept based on the fact that a new brand should have significant differences from existing brands would be economically wrong.

2. Performing an audit of the existing brand and developing recommendations for changing the brand positioning and adapting its communication elements.

3. Define the boundaries of the brand's existence in such a way that minimal effort is needed for future adjustments.

4. Providing a single marketing message.

5. Ensuring a unified representation of the brand in time and space, without taking into account the geographical area of ​​its distribution.

In the conditions of Russia, as a rule, small and medium-sized organizations operating in local markets, retail trade organizations and other companies that are not interested in conducting large-scale advertising campaigns, but need brand management specialists are interested in creating such departments.

Thus, organizations for which large-scale advertising campaigns are impossible due to budget constraints or inappropriate due to the characteristics of the marketing activities of such companies are not interested in maintaining brand management departments in their structure based on cooperation with full-service advertising agencies. At the same time, the competent implementation of the principles of the communication concept of marketing may be not only necessary, but also sufficient for an organization operating within a small region, a retail outlet, or even a small network. Despite the fact that the quantitative scales are incomparable, the qualitative scales are comparable and practically coincide.

It is easy to see that in a particular local market, a small organization that produces products under a competitive brand is able to get the desired profit that it needs to develop, despite the presence on the market of larger, but at the same time less efficient companies in terms of branding. The main share of buyers of most service places is located near the point, and communication with them is limited, territorial. Such companies are not interested in conducting an advertising campaign in which they do not need a large part of the audience.

The main task for such companies is to develop a highly effective brand and competently manage it throughout all its life cycles.

The fulfillment of these tasks leads to the stable development of the brand and, as a result, to the development of the organization issuing it.

Proper brand management implies not only ongoing marketing research, but also knowledge and experience in the field of marketing and marketing communications. The more this knowledge, the more accurate and easier the analysis of the results of marketing research, the better the business decisions made.

Thus, even without incurring significant costs for large-scale advertising campaigns, it is possible to make the organization grow rapidly and allow it to become one of the largest players in the market or simply to get the desired profit.

So, the creation of a brand management department, working on the basis of the principles of a full-service advertising agency or a brand incubator, makes it possible to conduct effective branding, which is the main factor in the success of any company's entrepreneurial activity. However, obtaining the effects from the implementation of this program is directly related to the costs of creating a department, maintaining its performance and implementing the plans it develops. It is also important to remember that the choice of one of the organizational forms of the department described should be consistent with the goals and objectives of the company. Thus, it is not enough just to see the success of a brand created and promoted with the help of a branding system organized in a company, it is also necessary to understand how effective the created brand management department is in itself.

In order to evaluate the effect of the work of this department, it is possible to consider and evaluate factor by factor all the constituent parts of the effect, which are provided by the studies carried out by the department, the developed plans and recommendations.

The benefits that a company can get from the introduction of brand management are as follows:

1) increase in sales volume;

2) optimization of pricing and assortment policy;

3) increase in profit from the brand;

5) expansion of the client base;

6) reduction of time resources spent on brand management;

7) expanding the target segment and increasing the number of potential consumers;

8) increasing competitiveness.

In addition, as noted earlier, when assessing the effect received by an organization from the implementation of brand management, costs are of great importance. It is important to consider here that very high costs usually arise when outsourcing communications and consulting services or strategic planning, namely when working with independent full-service advertising agencies or brand incubators. Such organizations often value their services on the basis of general market principles for paying consulting services, and the most qualified specialists value their work very dearly. Therefore, a company producing a brand, when working with branding partners, always has the risk of overpaying, while the introduction of brand management in an organization avoids this risk and makes it possible to control the costs of brand management.

Typically, the following types of brand management costs are distinguished:

1) costs for consulting activities;

2) costs associated with the development and implementation of a strategic brand management plan;

3) research costs;

5) expenses for creative developments;

6) costs for the development of information support;

7) the cost of acquiring the necessary marketing information;

8) the cost of expanding the staff and, as a result, an increase in the payroll (with the emergence of a brand management department);

9) recurring expenses for staff development (branding specialists).

So, a viable and effective brand is the result of directed professional actions to manage consumer perceptions of it. In essence, brand management is based on conducting research on consumer desires, the work of competitors, the main trends of the target market segment and involves responding to all the changes that occur. This brand management should be ongoing and based on the actions of professionals in order to ensure the competitiveness of the brand and increase its value to consumers. Therefore, it is very important to introduce a special brand management department in the brand manufacturing organization.