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This article discusses how well-executed social initiatives can strengthen a brand by promoting growth, customer loyalty, and employee engagement. It emphasizes the importance of establishing branded signature programs that resonate with societal challenges, have a strong social program brand, create sizzle, and are scalable. The article provides examples of successful social programs, including Barclays, Dove, Hellmann's, and Thrivent, and highlights the positive impact these initiatives had on their respective brands. It concludes by acknowledging the challenges of creating and integrating signature programs but emphasizes the potential benefits for building a stronger brand and growing as a business. [Extracted from the article]

The authors assert that all multinational companies should actively engage in global brand management and that global brand leadership should be the priority of brand builders. They explore the challenges companies face in their brandbuilding programs, recognizing that economies of scale may prove elusive, that forming a successful global brand team can prove difficult, and global brands cannot simply be imposed on all markets. It is determined that successful brand leadership involves stimulating the sharing of insights and best practices across countries, supporting a common global brand-planning process, assigning managerial responsibility for brands in order to create cross-country synergies and to fight local bias, and executing brilliant brand-building strategies.

When markets turn hostile, it's no surprise that managers are tempted to extend their brands vertically--that is, to take their brands into a seemingly attractive market above or below their current positions. And for companies chasing growth, the urge to move into booming premium or value segments also can be hard to resist. The draw is indeed strong; and in some instances, a vertical move is not merely justified but actually essential to survival--even for top brands, which have the advantages of economies of scale, brand equity, and retail clout. But beware: leveraging a brand to access upscale or downscale markets is more dangerous than it first appears. Before making a move, then, managers should ascertain whether the rewards will be worth the risks. In general, David Aaker recommends that managers avoid vertical extensions whenever possible. There is an inherent contradiction in the very concept because brand equity is built in large part on image and perceived worth, and a vertical move can easily distort those qualities. Still, certain situations demand vertical extensions, and Aaker examines both the winners and the losers in the game. Managers may find themselves facing a situation that presents both an emerging opportunity and a strategic threat, and alternatives to vertical extensions may have even higher risks and costs. Furthermore, a number of brands have been extended vertically with complete success. If after assessing the risks and rewards you conclude that a vertical extension is on the horizon, proceed with caution. And keep in mind that your challenge will be to leverage and protect the original brand while taking advantage of the new opportunity. INSET: Strategies for sub-brands: Minimizing risk.. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, the authors discuss brand building in the absence of mass media. The authors claim that new communication channels that will shortly be available will allow individuals to bypass advertising as they peruse entertainment options, obtain information, or shop, thus making mass media advertising and brand building obsolete. Companies in European countries have existed in an atmosphere where mass media is not as pervasive and not as effective, so the authors suggest that modeling brand building after European countries may prepare the U.S. for the future. Europeans have access to fewer commercial television stations and it is rare to see media spanning several countries.

Gordon Johnston has taken his elite health-club concept from the germ of an idea to the pinnacle of success. But the most difficult decision in managing his company lies ahead. Gordon must figure out how to lead Transition fitness clubs into the next phase. In each of the 15 years since Transition's flagship club opened in New York City, its sales have doubled. What the company calls a "two-hour miracle" encompasses fitness trainers handpicked by Olympic medalists, health-conscious cuisine by in-house chefs, huge facilities in prime locations, and reciprocal memberships at other Transition clubs worldwide. But recently, the company's margins have been shrinking. An aging membership could mean problems for future expansion. And new, upscale competitors are challenging Transition's pricing policy--a high flat rate that includes everything--with prorated packages tailored to clients' needs. Transition is also facing competition on another level. For the past ten years, the company has offered its services through satellite clubs in the prestigious Printemps hotels. Now Printemps's main competitor, the Clarkhouse chain, offers similar fitness facilities. Clarkhouse has 250 locations worldwide, Printemps only 35. What can Gordon do? His staff is alarmed that he is considering overtures from the mid-priced Ambassador hotel chain. They think he will risk Transition's reputation by offering a downscale version of the club. Will Gordon have to run fast to stay in one place? Should he change Transition's pricing policy? Six experts in marketing, pricing, and product branding advise Gordon on how to transition Transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, all signs point to the corporate facts of life that consumerism pressures will intensify, as will the pressures to increase government regulation with all its problems of inflexibility, high costs, and new inequities created by uneven administration. The seriousness of the problems created by these pressures will depend on the effectiveness of the responses of individual companies and trade associations, and their willingness to help the various agencies and legislative committees frame realistic and workable rules and regulations. In this article, the authors emphasize the opportunities inherent in management responses to consumerism and suggest how corporate managements can make future consumer-oriented programs more efficient and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Breaking Compromises, Breakaway Growth," by George Stalk Jr., David K. Pecault and Benjamin Burnett from the September-October 1996 issue.

The article offers comments from an expert regarding the article "Extend Profits, Not Product Lines" by John A. Quelch and David Kenny. The author presents legitimate reasons for line extensions. These are: energizing a brand, expanding a brand's core promise for new users, managing true innovation, blocking or inhibiting competitors, and managing a dynamic environment. Various brand name products are mentioned as examples of product line extensions, including Hidden Valley Honey Dijon Ranch salad dressing, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Glade Air Fresheners.

The article discusses the findings of a study on word of mouth persuasion conducted by Ernest Dichter, the father of motivation research, and was reported in a 1966 issue of the journal, which identified four motivations for a person to communicate about brands. Topics covered include the revelations of the findings of the secrets on how to use social media to build brands and businesses, and how these same motivations can help explain why brands have been successful in using social media.