An academic paper I

1. The
Comprehensive
Case
for
Global
Brand
Management
By
@will2410
Many
organizations
operate
within
ever
maturing,
highly
price-­‐sensitive,
and
hyper-­‐competitive
market
environments.
The
widespread
adoption
of
rigorous
production
standards
and
effective
control
mechanisms,
have
eroded
the
perceived
quality
advantages
of
branded
over
non-­‐branded
products
and
services.
Furthermore,
low-­‐cost
competitors
are
continuously
becoming
more
sophisticated
at
imitating
innovative
products,
offsetting
the
benefits
of
conducting
costly
R&D.
Adding
to
these
pressures,
are
highly
intelligent,
interconnected
customers
and
consumers
who
are
not
easily
persuaded
by
traditional
marketing
strategies
but
rather
cynical
towards
them.
Due
to
these
challenges,
the
business
case
for
focusing
marketing
activities
on
the
traditional
4P’s
of
product,
promotion,
place,
and
especially
price,
is
diminishing
rapidly.
Excellent
products
and
services,
well-­‐conceived
marketing
efforts,
and
ubiquitous
availability
are
the
mere
basics
to
satisfy
customers,
they
no
longer
deliver
a
meaningful
competitive
advantage.
Most
notably,
the
attempt
to
compete
on
price
will
often
result
in
a
downward
spiral
and
diminishing
returns.
Accordingly,
marketers
must
create
sustainable
business
value
by
increasing
the
customer’s
willingness
to
accept
premium
price
levels
for
branded
over
non-­‐branded
products.
The
customer
must
have
a
relatively
high
level
of
commitment
toward
a
certain
product
or
service
in
order
to
knowingly
and
repeatedly
select
it
over
a
cheaper
substitute
of
physically
equal
quality.
In
most
markets
and
categories,
the
traditional
4P’s
of
marketing
hardly
any
longer
sufficient
to
create
such
heightened
levels
of
customer
commitment.
This
is
why
marketers
(and
managers)
must
focus
their
efforts
on
creating
strategic
business
advantages
by
virtue
of
strengthening
their
brands.
It
is
a
relatively
simple
case
for
good
business
to
invest
in
a
strong
brand.
If
properly
built
and
managed,
brands
provide
customers
with
a
meaningful
and
sustainable
point
of
differentiation
that
goes
beyond
the
physical
qualities
of
a
product
or
service.
The
efficient
management
of
global
brands
is
a
complex,
yet
profitable
task.
Economic,
political,
and
cultural
differences
across
international
markets
demand
genuine
commitment
to
local
understanding
and
adaption.
However,
when
the
devotion
to
a
set
of
brand
values
translates
back
into
globally
robust
business
strategies,
this
contributes
heavily
to
creating
a
sustainable
and
relevant
differentiation
from
competitors.
Therefore,
brands
that
can
credibly
demonstrate
their
commitment
to
appropriate
sets
of
values,
can
expect
to
substantially
increase
their
customer’s
lifetime
value
(CLV).
Consequently,
a
genuine
commitment
to
strategic
global
brand
management
-­‐
rather
than
to
traditional
marketing
efforts
-­‐
leads
the
way
to
increased
shareholder
value,
future
investor
trust,
and
sustainable
success
in
the
face
of
growing
customer
demands
and
fierce
competition.
May
31,
2010:
William
Alexander
Strieder,
BComm(Bus):
Bond
University,
Gold
Coast,
Australia