Short answer
Integrate brand deletion strategies into the overall brand portfolio management process, recognizing it as a proactive rather than reactive measure.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- ThinkTech (Texas Tech University) (2013)
- Method
- Grounded theory study
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Effectively managing a brand portfolio involves not only adding and maintaining brands but also strategically deleting underperforming or misaligned brands. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2013 study published in ThinkTech (Texas Tech University). Using Grounded theory study, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Integrate brand deletion strategies into the overall brand portfolio management process, recognizing it as a proactive rather than reactive measure.
Strategic Brand Deletion: A Neglected Pathway to Portfolio Optimization
Effectively managing a brand portfolio involves not only adding and maintaining brands but also strategically deleting underperforming or misaligned brands.
ThinkTech (Texas Tech University) · 2013
Key Findings
- 01Brand deletion is a neglected but important strategic decision in brand portfolio management.
- 02Brand deletion can manifest as either 'killing' a brand or 'selling' a brand.
- 03Key facets of brand deletion include brand fit, attributes, stakeholders, and implementation.
Application
Design takeaway
Integrate brand deletion strategies into the overall brand portfolio management process, recognizing it as a proactive rather than reactive measure.
How to apply
When evaluating a product or brand's long-term viability, consider the criteria and processes for its potential deletion or divestment.
Project actions
- 01Consider the end-of-life for your designed products or brands as part of your project planning.
- 02Think about how a product's discontinuation might affect users or the market.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a novel perspective on an under-researched area of brand management.
- +Utilizes a qualitative, grounded theory approach to explore a complex phenomenon.
Limitations
The research is qualitative and based on a specific brand architecture ('house of brands'), so its findings may not apply universally.
Reliability & validity
The grounded theory approach aims for theoretical saturation, enhancing the validity of findings within the studied context. Reliability would depend on the consistency of interpretations across researchers if the study were replicated.
Think critically
How might the 'selling' of a brand differ in its strategic implications compared to 'killing' a brand from a design and user perspective?
Design Principles
"A comprehensive brand strategy encompasses both brand introduction and brand retirement."
In design practice, understanding the lifecycle of a product or brand is crucial. This research highlights that the end-of-life strategy for a brand is as important as its launch and growth phases, impacting resource allocation, market focus, and overall business strategy.
What This Means for Your Design
Sometimes, the best way to improve your collection of brands is to get rid of the ones that aren't working anymore, either by stopping them or selling them off.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify decisions about retiring or phasing out certain design elements or product lines in your design project.
- 2.Reference this study when discussing the strategic management of a brand portfolio within your design context.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The strategic management of brand portfolios necessitates careful consideration of brand deletion, a process often overlooked but critical for optimizing market presence and resource allocation. Research indicates that brand deletion, whether through discontinuing a brand or selling it, involves distinct facets such as brand fit, stakeholder impact, and implementation challenges, suggesting that designers and strategists should plan for the entire lifecycle of their offerings.
Source
ThinkTech (Texas Tech University)
The brand deletion strategy in brand portfolio management
journal · 2013
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about strategic brand deletion: a neglected pathway to portfolio optimization?
- Integrate brand deletion strategies into the overall brand portfolio management process, recognizing it as a proactive rather than reactive measure. Evidence: ThinkTech (Texas Tech University) (2013).
- Why does "Strategic Brand Deletion: A Neglected Pathway to Portfolio Optimization" matter for design?
- In design practice, understanding the lifecycle of a product or brand is crucial. This research highlights that the end-of-life strategy for a brand is as important as its launch and growth phases, impacting resource allocation, market focus, and overall business strategy.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Integrate brand deletion strategies into the overall brand portfolio management process, recognizing it as a proactive rather than reactive measure.
- What were the main findings?
- Brand deletion is a neglected but important strategic decision in brand portfolio management.. Brand deletion can manifest as either 'killing' a brand or 'selling' a brand.. Key facets of brand deletion include brand fit, attributes, stakeholders, and implementation.
- What research method was used?
- Grounded theory study.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2013 journal from ThinkTech (Texas Tech University).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When evaluating a product or brand's long-term viability, consider the criteria and processes for its potential deletion or divestment.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focuses on firms with a 'house of brands' architecture, which may limit generalizability to other brand architecture types.