Building Strong Brands

Basics of Branding: A Practical Guide for Managers is a 6-chapter book published in 2013 by the Business Expert Press and written by Jay Gronlund, president and founder of The Pathfinder Group and instructor at New York University. Gronlund provides an in-depth analysis of branding and the requirements of successful brand development. He explores critical concepts including market positioning, brand equity, and content marketing as well as the implications of continuing changes in the market environment due to technology. Using illustrative examples from well-known brands and summarizing important research, he provides practical guidance and insight for both managers and students. Chapter 4, Building Strong Brands (51 pages) introduces a five-stage model of brand development: market analysis, strategy development, positioning, brand development, and brand marketing. The author examines the market analysis stage in-depth, including different research methods, challenges, and outcomes. He considers the importance of innovation in branding and presents a three-phase innovation model of preparation, ideation, and follow-up. He provides detailed, practical guidance for a successful ideation process in five steps: situation analysis, planning, team selection, the meeting itself, and implementation. He also explores other brand elements, such as the name, visual representation, and taglines with analysis of the psychology behind each and a review of real world examples. Finally, he explains brand architecture and related initiatives.

• Consumer behavior
• Market positioning
• Brand management