Proprietary & Confiden0al
brand	growth	strategy	
Brand	Architecture	Depth	Examples	
		
	
Alternatives	and	Go-to-Market	Implications	for	Industrial	
Manufacturing	Companies	
	
	
Michael	Million	
mmillion@fullsurge.com
PROPRIETARY	AND	CONFIDENTIAL	
SUBSECTION	TITLE	
2	
Diversified	industrial	businesses	employ	a	wide	variety	of	brand	
architectures	to	consider	
Branded	House		 House	of	Brands	
Industrial	
AutomaAon	
Climate	
Technologies	
Petro-
chemicals	
Power	
GeneraAon		
Primary	
Metals	
Network	Power	
•  Corporate	equity	is	primary	
•  Strict	visual	guidelines	
•  Division	equity	is	primary	
•  Flexible	visual	guidelines
PROPRIETARY	AND	CONFIDENTIAL	
SUBSECTION	TITLE	
3	
GE	employs	a	strong	branded	house	or	master	brand	strategy	
throughout	the	enterprise		
Business	Level	
Corporate	
Level	
Product	Level	 Business	&	General	
CF700	
M601	
Passport	
	
Commercial	
CF6	
CT7	
Gas	Engines:	
Jenbacher	
	
Wind	
Turbines:	
4.1-113	
	
	
Advanced	Technology:	
Discovery	
	
ProducAvity:	
OpAma	
	
Ease	of	Use:	
Brivo	
General	Purpose	
Edison	
Crystal	Clear	
	
Fluorescent:	
Ecolux	
covRGuard	
Power	Plant:	
FlexEfficiency	50	
	
Solar	Panels:	
78W	
80W	
	
MONOGRAM	
PROFILE	
CAFÉ	
SPACEMAKER	
How	GE	introduces	itself:	
GE	is	an	advanced	technology,	services	and	
finance	company	taking	on	the	world’s	
toughest	challenges.	Dedicated	to	innovaAon	in	
energy,	health,	transportaAon,	and	
infrastructure,		
Take-aways:	
•  A	strong	master	brand	at	the	corporate	level	can	simplify	the	porbolio,	opAmize	resources,	provide	immediate	credibility	to	
NPIs,	and	provide	a	huge	advantage	in	compeAAve	situaAons
PROPRIETARY	AND	CONFIDENTIAL	
SUBSECTION	TITLE	
4	
Emerson	employs	a	branded	house	strategy	at	the	business	level,	but	
maintains	several	brands	at	the	product	level	
Business	Level	
Corporate	
Level	
How	Emerson	introduces	itself:	
Emerson	is	a	diversified	global	manufacturing	and	
technology	company.	We	offer	a	wide	range	of	
products	and	services	in	the	areas	of	network	power,	
process	management,	industrial	automaAon,	climate	
technologies,	and	tools	and	storage	businesses	
Product	Level	
Emerson	
Motor	
Technologies	
Emerson	
Storage	
SoluAons	
Emerson	
Professional	
Tools	
Emerson	
Appliance	
SoluAons	Network	Power	Industrial	AutomaAon	Climate	Technologies	Process	Management	
Take-aways:	
•  The	Emerson	approach	builds	a	strong	parent	brand,	telegraphs	which	markets	they	are	commieed	to,	and	provides	flexibility	for	
acquisiAons	and	product	brands	
•  While	having	several	benefits,	especially	for	cross-business	customers,	this	approach	does	very	liele	to	structure	or	simplify	a	
complex	product	brand	porbolio		
•  Success	of	this	approach	depends	on	significant	resources	toward	building	the	parent	brand	and	defining	the	right	market	
categories	that	are	broad	but	specific	enough
PROPRIETARY	AND	CONFIDENTIAL	
SUBSECTION	TITLE	
5	
UTC	employs	a	house	of	few,	strong	brands	at	the	business	level,	visually	
tied	to	the	parent	
Business	
Level	
Corporate	
Level	
A	United	Technologies	
Company	
A	United	Technologies	Company	 A	United	Technologies	
Company	
A	United	Technologies	
Company	
A	United	Technologies	
Company	
How	United	Technologies	introduces	itself:	
United	Technologies	CorporaAon	(UTC)	is	a	
diversified	company	whose	products	include	Carrier	
heaAng	and	air	condiAoning,	Hamilton	Sundstrand	
aerospace	systems	and	industrial	products,	OCs	
elevators	and	escalators,	PraE	&	Whitney	aircrai	
engines,	Sikorsky	helicopters,	UTC	Fire	&	Security	
Systems	and	UTC	Power	fuel	cells.	
Product	
Level	
Commercial		
Engines:	
PW2000	
PW4000		
Military	
Engines:	
F135	
Infinity	
Performance	
	
ComfortZone	
	
Military	Aircrai:	
	
BLACK	HAWK	
SEAHAWK	
Comm.	Aircrai:	
S-76	
S-92	
Power	Fuel	
Cells	
Take-aways:	
•  Establishes	an	effecAve	balance	between	a	moderately	strong	parent	brand	and	stronger	business	level	brands	–	all	Aed	
together	through	a	design	language	
•  Minimizes	the	need	for	product	branding,	by	establishing	(and	sAcking	to)	few	brands	at	the	business	level	
•  Success	of	this	approach	depends	on	commitment	to	few,	strong	business	level	brands
PROPRIETARY	AND	CONFIDENTIAL	
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6	
Altra	also	employs	a	branded	house	strategy	at	the	business	
level,	but	maintains	several	product	brand	names	
Power	
GeneraCon		
Primary	
Metals	
Rubber	 Paper	 Petro-
Chemical	
Mining	 Marine		Business	Level	
Corporate	
Level	
Product	Level	
Take-aways:	
•  In	an	effort	to	unify	and	standardize	the	appearance	of	the	porbolio,	Altra	might	hove	gone	too	far	–	any	equity	or	individuality	in	
product	brands	is	neutralized	in	order	to	gain	communicaAon	efficiencies	
•  This	approach	assumes	the	“A”	symbol	is	a	strong	enough	visual	to	carry	the	enAre	porbolio.	It	also	diminishes	the	value	and	
integrity	of	the	logo	by	aeaching	to	so	many	products	(ubiquity	destroys	brand	equity)	
•  Simple	product	line	descripAons	with	brands	cuong	across	those	lines	aren’t	enough	to	strategically	organize	the	porbolio	(this	is	
a	visual	design	/	product-driven	soluAon	only,	and	lacks	the	sophisAcaAon	required	for	soluAon	selling)
PROPRIETARY	AND	CONFIDENTIAL	
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7	
Textron	employs	a	house	of	brands	strategy	with	each	business	
level	brand	having	a	loose	link	to	the	parent	
Business	Level	
Product	
Level	
Corporate	
Level	
How	Textron	introduces	itself:	
Textron	is	not	only	one	of	the	world's	best	
known	mulA-industry	companies,	it	is	a	
pioneer	of	the	diversified	business	model.	
Light	TransportaAon	Air	Transit	 Cable	InstallaAon	 Turf	Care	 AutomoAve	 Finance		Systems	
CitaAon	CJ2+	
CitaAon	TEN	
206L-4	
407	
Huey	II	
Tital	
Tug	
Haluster	
NETcat	 Cushman	SprayTek	
Eclipse	322	Hybrid	
Tri-King	
Camshais	
FuelSystems	
AviaAon		
Financing	
Lending		
SoluAons	
Smart	Weapons	
• AirSensor		
		Fuzed	Weapon	
• BLU-108	Universal	
Take-aways:	
•  This	is	a	brand	architecture	soluAon	for	businesses	which	have	no	synergies	and	are	targeted	at	very	different	customers	and	
markets	
•  This	approach	is	typically	adopted	by	enAAes	like	Textron	who	act	primarily	as	holding	companies	with	very	liele	shared	services,	
central	funcAons,	or	common	customers	
•  Equity	flow	back	to	the	parent	is	very	limited,	as	each	business	/	brand	operates	somewhat	independently	
Business	
Division	
Level
PROPRIETARY	AND	CONFIDENTIAL	
SUBSECTION	TITLE	
8	
Three	levels	of	operational	depth	to	consider	OperaAonal	Depth	
OperaConal	Level	 DefiniCons	
1	
MarkeCng	Categories	Only	 •  A	communicaAve	banner	that	expresses	a	
broader	category	which	brands	fall	under	
•  Brands	do	not	rigidly	fit	under	banners;	they	
“float”	across	them	like	Emerson	or	Altra	
•  P&Ls	are	Aed	to	brands	which	float	across	
markeAng	categories	
2	
Sales	/	SoluCon	Categories	 •  A	dedicated	team	charged	with	selling	the	enAre	
porbolio	(to	select	large	customers)	in	integrated	
soluAons	(value	added	services	plus	products)	
•  A	“go-to-market	layer”	in-between	the	corporate	
and	brand	/	P&L	levels	
•  P&Ls	are	Aed	to	brands	which	float	across	
soluAon	categories	
3	
OperaConal	Categories	 •  Complete	alignment	with	organizaAonal	
structure		and	P&Ls	
•  P&Ls	are	Aed	to	categories	AND	brands	
•  ExcepAons	can	come	in	the	form	of	internaAonal	
distribuAon	arms	which	carry	the	enAre	
porbolio,	and	special	brands	like	XYZ	which	may	
cut	across	categories	
MarkeCng	Banner	
Brand	A	 Brand	B	
MarkeCng	Banner	
Brand	C	
P&L	1	 P&L	2	 P&L	3	
Corporate	Level	
	
	
	
	
Sales/	SoluCons	
Brand	A	 Brand	B	
Sales/	SoluCons	
Brand	C	
P&L	1	 P&L	2	 P&L	3	
Corporate	Level	
	
	
	
	
Category	1	
P&L	1	
Category	2	
Brand	A,	B	
Corporate	Level	
	
	
	
	
P&L	2	
Brand	C,	D	
P&L	3	
Brand	E
PROPRIETARY	AND	CONFIDENTIAL	
SUBSECTION	TITLE	
9	
Click	to	edit	Master	title	style	
1603	Orrington	
Evanston	IL	60201	
MMillion@fullsurge.com	
fullsurge.com	
	
Thank	you

Brand Architecture Depth Examples