Brand management: multi-brand manager system, be careful!

Although the multi-brand manager system is one of the important factors for the success of Procter & Gamble, it is obviously unbiased to exaggerate the significance of the multi-brand manager system and to chase it as a professional fashion. Not even worth it. According to our close observation and understanding of a large number of Chinese enterprises of different sizes, it is necessary to be cautious in implementing the multi-brand manager system at this stage.

The brand manager system is actually the concrete embodiment of the brand management mechanism. Brand management mechanism refers to an enterprise marketing management mechanism that takes the brand as the center and aims to continuously improve the brand equity. Under this mechanism, a brand manager (or brand management team) is usually responsible for a brand's overall business (profit, brand equity, market share, etc.).

For the brand manager system to function effectively, it needs at least the following five foundations:

First, the company must truly believe and insist that the brand is the center of business management. Only in this way can the brand manager play a leading role in the company.

Second, the company has enough high-quality brand managers. The brand manager is actually a "small" general manager, who has high requirements on the ability of strategic thinking, communication and coordination, and leadership.

Third, the company must have a sound inter-departmental management and coordination system. A lot of work of a brand manager requires a lot of inter-departmental work, and a sound inter-departmental coordination mechanism is an important guarantee for a brand manager to play a role.

Fourth, the company should have multiple brands. One of the reasons for the emergence of the brand manager system is to promote healthy competition among various brands. Without multiple brands, it is of little significance to practice the multi-brand manager system.

Fifth, the company's brand building resources must reach a certain scale. If resources are already limited, and they have to be assigned to various brand managers to control, the effect of resources will be greatly reduced.

In contrast to the current situation of Chinese enterprises, there are actually many problems in these basic tasks.

First of all, in terms of management concept, most of the enterprises are production/sales-oriented, and there are actually very few enterprises that are truly based on consumer demand and brand-centered; they look at more short-term results and less long-term results; they care about sales More, less attention to the accumulation of brand equity. Of course, this has something to do with the short development history of Chinese companies. However, under the leadership of such a management concept, the introduction of the brand manager system, although the form has been realized based on the needs of consumers and the brand as the core, but the deep-rooted concept has not changed, it is very easy to doubt the value of the brand manager and even challenge it The authority and significance of brand managers.

Secondly, the lack of brand manager talents also makes the brand managers of many Chinese companies unable to play their due role. Brand managers are a new thing in China. Many companies' brand managers do not have high standards when choosing them, resulting in brand managers' names but nothing. In fact, among multinational companies, only Procter & Gamble, Colgate, Unilever and other companies have many years of successful experience in the multi-brand manager system, and many small and medium-sized multinational companies have no way to fully utilize the multi-brand manager system. .

Third, cross-departmental coordination is very difficult in Chinese companies. The long-established management system has made Chinese enterprises more accustomed to intra-departmental collaboration rather than cross-departmental collaboration. Cross-departmental coordination is difficult to drive without directives from the top. In many Chinese companies, it is difficult for a department leader to accept a brand manager's coordination on projects. However, a lot of cross-departmental coordination is required for the brand manager system to function, and the lack of a good cross-departmental coordination mechanism will also limit the role of the brand manager.

Fourth, most Chinese companies actually adopt a single brand strategy, with different products under a single brand. In this situation, the person in charge of each sub-product is used as a brand manager, and each develops its own product-related brand strategy (positioning, communication, creativity, etc.), which often causes confusion or even contradiction in brand communication information, hindering Overall planning and promotion of a single brand.

Fifth, due to the relatively short accumulation time, most Chinese enterprises do not have sufficient resources for brand support. In the presence of multiple brand managers, it is inevitable that brand managers will compete with each other for resources. Moreover, the limited resources can play a very limited role after being diluted among various brands. Instead, it is better to concentrate superior resources to build a brand or product.

When considering the multi-brand manager system, you should carefully consider whether the company really needs to set up a multi-brand manager system, and whether there are conditions or willingness to create conditions for the brand manager to play its due role. In management, there is no fashionable system, only the most suitable system.

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Medi Consulting is a professional brand management consulting company founded by professional brand managers. The main members are composed of professional brand management, sales management, brand communication management personnel from multinational companies such as Procter & Gamble/Coca-Cola/JWT. They have rich and practical professional operation experience in the Chinese market. Meddy focuses on brand management, mainly providing professional services such as market research, brand consulting and brand training. Welcome to visit: www.foresight.net.cn
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