Varumärket som strategiskt konkurrensmedel - Om konsten att bygga upp starka varumärken

In recent years the importance of strong brands has come very much into focus both among theoreticians and practitioners. In order to gain a better understanding of the nature of brand strength, I have chosen to analyse the branding process. The overriding aim of this analysis is to develop a theoretical framework and typology with which to facilitate our understanding of how powerful brands can be created.

As the theoretical starting point of the study, the brand is discussed from the perspective of strategic management and brand management. This discussion leads to the development of a framework which describes branding as a value-adding process aiming at creating and managing brand equity. This process is conceived as six consecutive steps which are represented by the following key concepts: product attributes, brand identity, core values, positioning, market communication and internal brand loyalty.

In order to gain a greater insight into how branding can create a sustainable competitive advantage, the brand building process is studied in the cases of Nicorette, Arla and Findus. On the basis of the empirical information provided by these case studies, the theoretical framework is further developed, with the introduction of several new concepts and models. These are summarised by the conceptual model called brand mix, which provides a general picture of the competence required to build strong brands.

In order to be able to create and manage brand equity successfully, it is important to establish favourable conditions for branding. This requires a brand orientation of an organisation. Such a process is described by the conceptual model called brand refinement, the objective of which is to provide guidance in the art of building strong brands.