Brand Stretch

Stretching the Brand offers practical and actionable advice on how to extend successful brands into new areas without losing sight of the value of the original brand itself. Examples of brand stretching include Dove soap, which has now been extended to the shampoo and deodorant markets. This book presents a single-minded focus on brand stretching that covers topics not found anywhere else, such as how to launch brand extensions and support them. Stretching the Brand will help companies increase their chances of winning by looking at the lessons learnt from both successes and failure in brand stretching. It provides the tools and techniques to stretch a brand successfully.

Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Brand stretch – or brand ego trip? Extension advantages. So why does the success rate suck? Virgin: The biggest ever brand ego trip? Shotgun weddings. Quitting the brand ego trip. Brand added value. Dove: Brand added value in action. The Brand Stretch workout. Key takeouts. Checklist 1: Brand Stretch – or brand ego trip? 2. Step One: Strengthen the core. In shape to stretch? The heart of a healthy brand. Anchoring the core range. Bud and Bud Light: Sun and planets. Risky business. Tango: Taking the eye off the orange ball. Key takeouts. Checklist 2: Strengthen the core. 3. Step Two: Vision. GPS for brands 30 The masterbrand challenges. Less myopic marketing. Blockbuster: Out of the video box. Climbing the brand ladder. Pampers: From bottoms to babies. Axe: Ladders and snakes. Elastic brands. Key takeouts. Checklist 3: Vision. 4. Step Three: Ideas. Start close to home. Moving out. Innovation shortcuts. The fairytale world of innovation. Starbucks’ Frappuccino: Real world innovation. Innokill survival kit. Key takeouts. Checklist 4: Ideas. 5. Step Four: Focus. Meet the seven dwarves. Heroes or zeroes? Bertolli: Virtual venture capital. Dimension one: Brand vision building. Dimension two: Show me the money. The easyGroup story: Murder on the balance sheet. easyGroup summary. Alternatives to going it alone. Key takeouts. Checklist 5: Focus. 6. Step Five: Delivery. Underestimating execution. Nescafé Hot When You Want: Not so hot execution. Brand damage. Brand and deliver. The Apple iPod: White hot execution. Delivering the promise. Key takeouts. Checklist 6: Delivery. 7. Step Six: Brand architecture. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Architecture for brands. Houses versus streets. Mono-platform brands. Multi-platform brands. Lego: Building blocks of a new future. When the rubber hits the road. Comfort: Designing a turnaround. Let’s go round again. Key takeouts. Checklist 7: Brand architecture. Appendix 1: Masterbrand positioning tips and tricks. Appendix 2: Example masterbrand positioning tool. Appendix 3: Masterbrand positioning tool template. References. Index.