Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control, Third Edition

faced with a number of decisions on the best way to gain access to the
assets and competencies needed to successfully support a brand. This had
led to a number of alternative ways of structuring the business functions that
support successful brands. Organisations have the option of co-ordinating
these activities without necessarily owning all the assets and competencies
needed. The capability to support a brand can be obtained through various
forms of relationships and alliances (see Figure 9.11).

Targeting, positioning and brand strategy 199

Elements of brand delivery not

visible to the consumer

Key assets and

competencies

are the core

components of

the operational

system created

by an

organisation

to deliver these

essential

elements of a

brand

Figure 9.10
The visibility of core elements of a brand (Source: Adapted from Davidson, 1997)