Explain the key challenges and/or opportunities facing the brand and lay the foundation for the brand plan focus and outcomes The issues should relate to specific aspects of the brand such as brand value, brand architecture, brand portfoli

BRAND PLAN OUTLINE

1. Brand Overview and Situation Analysis
   • Summarize the evolution of the brand, including its past and present positions
   • Briefly describe the brand/organizational values, company/brand heritage and a company/brand SWOT analysis

1. Identify the key issues facing the brand

Explain the key challenges and/or opportunities facing the brand and lay the foundation for the brand plan focus and outcomes

• The issues should relate to specific aspects of the brand such as brand value, brand architecture, brand portfolio, brand extension, brand revitalization, repositioning, etc.
• These issues will lead to the development of the strategies and tactics of the brand plan
• Note: You will report these challenges here in the document, but they will be the outcome of your work on the situation analysis, brand inventory and brand exploratory

1. Brand Inventory

Provide a comprehensive assessment of the current brand strategy and strategy elements used to support the brand franchise. Use secondary research sources.

3.1 Construct the brand architecture

• Graphically represent the brand hierarchy
• Discuss the roles of brands in the portfolio
• Focus on your brand and others deemed important to your brand

3.2 Discuss the hierarchy of the brand

Analyze the firm’s branding and marketing programs. How do they contribute to brand knowledge? Evaluate the consistency of the programs over time. Is there consistency between the brand and the marketing elements? Describe and evaluate the impact of any observed discrepancies.

• Analyze the brand aesthetics (logos, name, packaging, colors)
• Analyze past and current advertising campaigns across medium
• Analyze the marketing mix for the brand: product, pricing, communication and distribution policies

1. Brand Exploratory

Offer a detailed analysis of consumer’s brand knowledge structures based on the customer-based brand equity framework. Use secondary and primary research sources i.e. some (qualitative) project research required

4.1 Assess brand associations at each level of the consumer-based brand equity pyramid. Critique the customer-based brand equity. What meanings are strong and dominant? Which are unique from the competition? Which are positive and negative? What meanings resonate with the target market?

• Use a Mental Map to illustrate your findings

4.2 Construct a behavioral profile of extreme users, if any, and discuss the influence of consumer emotions during the brand purchase or consumption experience

1. Brand Objectives and Goals: Where we want to be
   • Objectives: Qualitative, broad definition of the end, complements broader company vision
   • Goals: Quantitative, relate directly to an objective, should be SMART

1. Brand Strategies and Tactics

Integrate findings from the above research and analysis activities to develop specific strategic and tactical marketing recommendations that address specific branding issues. Recommendations should be closely integrated to reassure brand image, awareness and equity are maximized.

Strategies

• Define how the vision and objectives will be achieved
• Are built from and address the most o=important realities identified in the situation review and audit
• Define how any positive issues (strengths and opportunities) will be exploited, and how negative issues (weaknesses and threats) will be overcome
• Crafting good strategies required
  • Focus on the most important findings and
  • Creativity in determining how to address those selected issues

Tactics

• Prioritized activities to support the strategies
• Each strategy will have a tactical program attached to it that includes plans and timing

1. Measurements
   • Are milestones to track implementing strategies
   • Used to determine how effective the strategy is over time

1. Bibliography

All secondary information sources such as journals, magazine articles, websites and industry reports must be properly acknowledged and formatted with in-text citations of the original source and an organized list of references. Please strictly adhere to APA guidelines for properly documenting information sources used in the final brand report.

1. Appendices

A separate appendix is required for any supporting documents, including:

• Visual images, copies of brand materials, links to branded multi-media materials
• Copy of all primary research materials (should be considered and organized) and reports summarizing research findings