Portfolio, Multi-Brand, Scale – whatever you call it, it works

The Rolling Stones famously quipped, “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you might find… you get what you need.” And that’s, quite simply, our POV on why brands should support portfolio efforts.

Brand teams exist to keep products and services relevant, differentiated and desired in a marketplace of crowded categories. They shape and manage the overall brand perception, identity and value proposition. Doing so means they must insist that all advertising and marketing efforts adhere to clearly defined guidelines. This difficult but essential task seems at odds with supporting portfolio initiatives that require brand teams to relinquish control and relax requirements.

While both of those things are true, there can be tremendous benefit to a limited number of concessions when teams come together to sing a portfolio song.

Shopper Impact

From the shopper’s perspective, more is more when it comes to portfolio efforts. A single exposure can provide the following benefits:

Inspiration: Showcases ways and reasons to bring brands together in unexpected and/or previously unthought of ways (e.g. recipes, hair styling tips, décor examples)

Convenience: Reduces time and effort to get products needed for a single occasion (e.g. BBQ, holiday hosting, beauty routine)

Trust: Makes shoppers aware of brands they might enjoy based on other brand(s) they already know, buy and love

Brand Impact

Where shoppers find inspiration, convenience and trust with portfolio programs, manufacturers/retailers can benefit through:

Broadened appeal: Attract a wider range of shoppers who may have different preference or consumption habits

Basket-building: Supports the growth of the brands and overall category that far exceed the capability of most singular brand efforts

Power of the portfolio: Allows brands to tap into complementary strengths (e.g. distribution, channel expertise, legacy status, etc.) to maximize impact

Media Impact

Showcasing multiple brands provides many benefits for media, including:

Efficient spend: More brands and wider targets make for a more efficient spend on media.

Brand visibility: Smaller budget brands gain otherwise cost prohibitive visibility.

Full-funnel communication: Brands with larger budgets can bolster consideration at the point-of-purchase by messaging at multiple touchpoints with singular brand programs that complement the portfolio program.

Fast Facts

Dissonance is common in portfolio program development, but results can be music to brand teams’ ears with reasonable compromise!

Portfolio efforts:

Work hard for shoppers providing inspiration, convenience and trust.

Work hard for brands providing broadened appeal and a basket-building preferred by retailers.

Work hard for media budgets through the showcase of more brands that appeal to wider targets.

DATE

POSTED BY

TAGS

Free Immediate Delivery

The Rolling Stones famously quipped, “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you might find… you get what you need.” And that’s, quite simply, our POV on why brands should support portfolio efforts.