PRODUCT BRAND, THE KEY FACTOR IN MARKETING STRATEGY FOR AGRICULTURAL INTEGRATED UNITS (CASE STUDY AT S.C. AVI-TOP S.A. RāZBOIENI-IAŞI).

In the Romania's EU entry conditions, the development of free trade on the market, the integrated livestock units were forced to adapt and protect its trademarks and products, national, community and international level. At the same time, the brand has proved to be a very important element for any business, has become a strategic element with its own value and independence, that is becoming more pronounced and an integral part of any marketing and management strategy. Over time, the economic importance of brands has increased in direct proportion with increasing the role of advertising and the development of world and international trade. The brand has shown its importance by the ability to attract and preserve clients; it is an essential element of business customer growth. The trademark is the most valuable intangible intellectual assets of the company. The value of the brands as assets must be maintained and that companies must realize that managing with success a brand is essential for its survival. The certificate of trademark is the ownership act, which gives the holder an exclusive right to the brand for a period of 10 years, and after this period the mark has to be renewed for other periods of 10 years. The paper aims as objective, the methods identification that could influence the increase of market share through design, approval and protection of trademarks, based on a case study conducted at SC "AVI-TOP" S.A. Războieni-Iasi. Based on these methods, can be design a system for choosing the most efficient mix of brands in the portfolio of products, according to the distribution channels used by the company. Since the establishment of the company, its brands have been fundamental in achieving a successful economic outcome. The company currently owns four successful brands, which are serving the regional market of the northeast region of the country. Obviously, the success is due to the fact that each brand is consumer oriented and as they evolve, the marketing and branding of the company must also evolve. The rhythm of this development is accelerating every day and this is one of the factors that generate not only new opportunities but also new challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]