In marketing communication, different words and concepts are mentioned and used widely. For someone new to the business or process, these words and concepts can be confusing. One of such oft-used concepts is ‘brand architecture.’ So what is brand architecture, and what are the different types of brand architecture? Brand Architecture is an integral part of any company and can be referred to as a building plan. The main factor that helps in making a solid and durable brand is its brand architecture.
Brand architecture is now recognized as an integrated part of any company and its worth is repeatedly proven in the life of any brand. It is a direct link between the leading brand and the sub-brands. For example, Procter & Gamble is the leading brand and has different sub-brands like Oral B, Always, Pampers, Safeguard, and Ariel, amongst others, under its umbrella.
Brand architecture can be likened to structural plans and ensures that the work conforms to a definite period. It is the responsibility of brand architecture to make sure that every chunk fits its required place in the more excellent picture. It helps in creating in-house guidelines and ensuring that these are followed. If a company plans to launch new products or extension of a product line, then competent brand architecture will prove a boon for the company. Brand architecture can serve as a bridge between the employees of a company and the customers and is a particular name for a specific mark. Still, it can incorporate multiple touchpoints like the logo, treatment, and training of employees, stationery, advertising, customer service, packaging quality, etc.,
Corporate branding affects stakeholders at multiple levels and impacts various aspects of companies such as products and services, culture and identity, employment applications, sponsorship, brand extensions, etc. The corporate branding success is often dependent on three parameters:
What the top management wants to accomplish
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What the employees believe
How do stakeholders perceive the organization
Any misalignment between these factors may result in a brand that is not performing up to the mark in the market. Changes in the expectations of stakeholders have necessitated the incorporation of corporate social responsibility initiatives into branding.
2) Umbrella Brand Architecture
Also known as Family Branding, it involves naming two or more products with a single brand name. Corporate brands may have multiple umbrella brands under them. The advantage of having an umbrella brand is that the company can experiment under different umbrella brand names.
The products under the umbrella brand have the same identification symbols and other marketing tools. The practice of an umbrella brand allows firms to approach different products from different brand umbrellas. The organization must make the umbrella brand and the product under them easily identified by similar markings and similar packaging using identical color combinations. This ensures that the range of products is easy to locate and pick by the customers.
An example of an umbrella brand is Apple. Although Apple uses the same corporate name on all its brands, you have other umbrellas such as the iPhone umbrella with its array of phone models under that umbrella. There is the iPad umbrella with different devices and tablets. There is an umbrella for the Apple watch holding other watches.
3) Endorsed Brand Architecture
With this type of brand architecture, the brands support an umbrella brand or a family brand and use them to promote and endorse as a branded product. These types of brands add credibility to the product and increase the possibility of acceptance from the customers.
The endorser brand is made of a variety of separate and unrelated but popular brands woven together by one endorsed brand. The products may have their brand logo, tagline, brand promise, and an individualized marketing plan. It does not have to rely on the parent or umbrella brand for its advertising.
Despite that, the success of the endorsed brand is highly dependent on the relationship and resemblance between the endorsed brand and the parent brand. The better it is, the better the brand will perform since it picks up easy customer acceptance. Most of the time, the endorser brand is the one that assures the customers of the quality and reliability of the product, which is a crucial reason for the conversion of people towards the endorsed brand.
A successful endorsed product will uplift the entire brand umbrella of the organization. The advantage for the endorsed brand is that the credibility remains, and the customers get a taste of the new product. It is The companies must maintain essential that the companies keep the quality and the standard while promoting an endorsed brand because if the brand does not work, it will hamper even the parent brand.
4) Individual brand
Individual brands are presented to the customers with the name of the parent company. These are the brands that company’s parent name but may not display prominently.
This kind of brand architecture keeps the product away from the parent brand, and even if it does not work in the market, it will not hamper the reputation of the parent brand. This kind of brand architecture is also known as pluralistic brand architecture or a freestanding brand.
