392 The Marketing Book
The nature of the brand metric will depend
on the ideas that emerged from the model in
Figure 15.8, as the nature of the brand emerged.
By revisiting the decisions that were made by
the brand team as they progressed through the
planning process of Figure 15.8, a monitoring
system can be developed which addresses
issues such as:
Brand vision
What progress is being made to bring about a
welcomed envisioned future?
To what extent is the brand making its market
domain a better place?
How much do stakeholders recognize and
appreciate the brand’s values?
Organizational culture
How well do the artefacts, values and
assumptions of the organizational culture
support the brand vision?
Are there any damaging internal counter
subcultures?
How appropriate is the organizational culture
for the environment?
Brand objectives
How aware and committed are staff to
achieving the brand’s objectives?
To what extent is the brand under- or
over-achieving on its objectives?
Brand essence
How aware are staff of the elements of the
brand pyramid and how committed are they to
delivering the inherent brand promise?
How well do consumers’ perceptions of the
brand pyramid match the planned pyramid?
Implementation and brand resourcing
How appropriate is the value delivery system
for the brand?
How aware are stakeholders of the brand?
What degree of commitment do stakeholders
have for the brand?
Do stakeholders perceive any conflicts
between the brand’s promise and their
experiences with the brand?Through undertaking regular monitors of a
brand’s health, the brand’s team is better
equipped to refine their thinking as they
continue the cyclical process around the brand
building model shown in Figure 15.8.Summary
This chapter has sought to provide the reader
with knowledge about two critical topics in
brand management, i.e. characterizing inter-
pretations about the concept of brands and
providing a model which encourages a more
integrated approach to brand building. Brands
are valuable intangible assets. It is their intan-
gible nature that necessitates all members of the
brand’s team to be clear about what they
understand as being the defining characteristics
of their brand. Time spent surfacing individual
views about the nature of a team’s brand is time
well spent, since it enables everyone to not only
understand the brand, but also helps them to
appreciate how they can better contribute to the
success of the brand.
The brand planning model shows how a
logical, iterative process can be employed to
focus thinking about brand building. Brand
management is about understanding consumers
and staff. Brand promises are delivered by staff,
and unless they understand and are committed
to delivering brand benefits, they are unlikely to
give the brand the support it demands. Brand
building is a pan-company activity and the
model enables a greater likelihood of a more
coherent brand. By deliberately encouraging
managers to adopt a visionary approach, not
only do the resulting brands represent a clear
sense of direction, but they also can more