Big Leaps

Big Leap is about amassing a large value by a wholesome program. By branding objectives Big Leap is about creating a major increase in the brand equity out of a clearly defined opportunity that has substantial revenue potential. A Big Leap can be planned out of opportunities; in the product space, at the market place and of course in the chances of establishing external associations and intangible values.

From obvious opportunities such as product extension and market expansion a Big Leap is feasible by the power of the branding strategies built into the program structure. It calls for a good understanding of the branding imperatives and professional program development and execution. However, new products, new promotion techniques and powerful value associations can cause a big jump in brand equity with a meticulously developed program.

In a Big Leap program - a Big Leap in brand equity - is the essential stipulation. It calls for defining the value potential and the revenue levels and seeks justifications on the feasibility criteria and on the strategies and plans worked out to achieve it. A big leap program should necessarily change the competition equations at the market place.

Brand Expansion

Brand expansion invariably happens on twin-tiers - by revenue potential and, by actual revenues. Revenue expansion initiatives, be it by products or by markets can be planned as big leap programs designed with brand value aggregating techniques so as accomplish a big surge in brand equity which would only augment revenue growth.

Enhancing the quality of the products enhances the revenue potential providing scope for sales to catch up. Adding a new feature to an existing product and adding new product altogether provide scope for the brand to grow its revenues across markets. Segmenting markets and targeting them with sub-brands can enhance a brand's revenue potential substantially.

Moving into new markets is a straight forward way to expand a brand's revenue potential and every such move into defined markets can be programmed to yield big leap in brand equity. Selling over a new channel can also enhance the potential for the brand and can even have positive impact on other channels - overall enhancing the brand equity by a big measure.

Breakthrough Branding Programs

Breakthrough branding programs that can cause a big leap in brand equity can be planned to convincingly acquire powerful value elements for the brand. Such programs must be essentially rooted in competently researched-out insights on the markets, competition and consumer psyche and in an unbiased inward thinking on the management deficiencies.

Breakthrough branding programs that effectively fuse a crucial intangible value into the brand can enhance brand equity by the potential of such value. Causing a big leap in brand equity by such intangible values requires that the values are appropriately ingrained in the brand across operations and are effectively communicated.

Breakthrough branding programs that connects the brand with elements and issues external to the brand that can cause a flow of value into the brand can cause a big leap in brand equity by the conviction and emotional connect consumers have with such elements and issues. Values that can be acquired from such external aspects happen to be directly proportional to the demonstrated involvement of the brand and the extent of positive impact caused in support of them.

Brand Recasting

Over time, owing to lack of attention towards branding or inept approach and actions a brand becomes negative in all sense. Such brands remain the same even with expert interventions and big spends on brand make-over efforts. Such brands need a wholesome recasting.

Brand recasting calls for an unbiased and critical review of its real image as perceived by the consumers. The process involves defining and realigning its value potential in tune with the branding imperatives as developed out of a good understanding of the market situation. The process also involves review of the brand's identity factors.

Importantly, a brand recast involves review of management systems, operation process and staff competencies with the objective to re-organize them in tune with the branding imperatives. Brand recast is relatively a long drawn process since it involves sustained work on the brand's fundamental with the management, staff and also with the trade channel in ingraining the brand values.

Brand Extension

Extending a brand to a new product category managed under a separate enterprise is an entry strategy often adopted by established groups for the benefit of instant familiarity and consumer connect the brand provides. However, decision on brand extensions should be carefully weighed with the potential value of the new enterprise as also the reverse value it can yield to the brand. Particularly, it is important to ensure that the new enterprise does not present any kind of risk of erosion of brand equity.

It is not necessarily just the power of the brand that helps to make good with the new business fast. Quite a few big brands, trying that out, have not only lost money in the new business but have in fact hurt themselves in the bid. Chemistry of brand character and value compatibility with the new product-set is very critical but again not at the cost of dilution the new product may cause in the brand's values, in detriment to its current products.

Absolutely suitable brand extension can cause a Big leap in the brand equity of a brand, even in the short term, if the launch of the new business is planned and carried out in tune with the brand character and its value elements, in a way that the affair enhances them. In the long term, to ensure sustained value accrual from the new business, it is important to conduct the business in compliance and to that effect.