Mastering technology is not the only criteria for success in the modern marketing era - the right people and processes must also be put in place to properly develop, manage and nurture the benefits of emerging tools. To be successful in the digital era, marketers should adopt the best new modern practices as well as rethink and refine classic approaches.

Alegre, a leading hotel group in Central and South America, is suffering under the troubled economy, and its newest property, the flagship Palma Cay in Cozumel, is hurting most. Beatriz Soto, Palma Cay's manager, has a plan to boost bookings, but she doesn't have the money to carry it out. Should corporate headquarters grant her additional funds, despite the company's traditionally decentralized operations? Or should Alegre think about launching its very first portfolio-wide campaign? With commentary by Raul Gonzalez, the CEO of Barcelo Hotels & Resorts for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; and Kevin Lane Keller, the E.B. Osborn Professor of Marketing at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business.

Alegre, a leading hotel group in Central and South America, is suffering under the troubled economy, and its newest property, the flagship Palma Cay in Cozumel, is hurting most. Beatriz Soto, Palma Cay's manager, has a plan to boost bookings, but she doesn't have the money to carry it out. Should corporate headquarters grant her additional funds, despite the company's traditionally decentralized operations? Or should Alegre think about launching its very first portfolio-wide campaign? With commentary by Raul Gonzalez, the CEO of Barcelo Hotels & Resorts for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; and Kevin Lane Keller, the E.B. Osborn Professor of Marketing at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business.

Each of Lilypad's boutique hotels has its own sense of place and definition of customer experience. Though loyal to their favorites, guests don't visit other luxury properties in the collection or even realize they're affiliated. To boost the lifetime value of existing customers and reach new ones, CEO Andre Cleary is thinking about positioning the hotels more directly under the corporate umbrella. The company could gain scale efficiencies and possibly increase visits - but does one brand really fit all? Four experts comment on this fictional case study in R0802B and R0802Z. Horst Schulze, the CEO and president of the West Paces Hotel Group, says that Lilypad must build up its corporate brand to create long-term value. This would also help the company become more efficient at cross-promoting properties, offering services, and buying supplies in bulk. Jill Granoff, the executive vice president of direct brands at Liz Claiborne, says that the financial risks of putting the Lilypad name front and center may outweigh the potential rewards. The company should instead market its hotels more aggressively to travel agents and selectively acquire new properties to propel further growth. Kevin Lane Keller of Dartmouth argues that Lilypad must clarify what its brand represents before giving it any more emphasis. Rather than making significant changes in the rooms themselves, which could weaken the individual brands, management should coordinate behind the scenes to improve cross-sell numbers. Jez Frampton, the global CEO of the consultancy Interbrand, thinks Andre should systematically examine the brand in terms of Lilypad's customers and culture. That means conducting market research and moving away from the current "warlord" approach of managing each property as a separate fiefdom.

Each of Lilypad's boutique hotels has its own sense of place and definition of customer experience. Though loyal to their favorites, guests don't visit other luxury properties in the collection or even realize they're affiliated. To boost the lifetime value of existing customers and reach new ones, CEO Andre Cleary is thinking about positioning the hotels more directly under the corporate umbrella. The company could gain scale efficiencies and possibly increase visits - but does one brand really fit all? Four experts comment on this fictional case study in R0802B and R0802Z. Horst Schulze, the CEO and president of the West Paces Hotel Group, says that Lilypad must build up its corporate brand to create long-term value. This would also help the company become more efficient at cross-promoting properties, offering services, and buying supplies in bulk. Jill Granoff, the executive vice president of direct brands at Liz Claiborne, says that the financial risks of putting the Lilypad name front and center may outweigh the potential rewards. The company should instead market its hotels more aggressively to travel agents and selectively acquire new properties to propel further growth. Kevin Lane Keller of Dartmouth argues that Lilypad must clarify what its brand represents before giving it any more emphasis. Rather than making significant changes in the rooms themselves, which could weaken the individual brands, management should coordinate behind the scenes to improve cross-sell numbers. Jez Frampton, the global CEO of the consultancy Interbrand, thinks Andre should systematically examine the brand in terms of Lilypad's customers and culture. That means conducting market research and moving away from the current "warlord" approach of managing each property as a separate fiefdom.

This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. Case studies suggest that companies, including Avon, Stonyfield Farm, and Starbucks, have benefited from marketing initiatives associating the company with a socially beneficial cause. But how should managers allocate dollars between social-cause marketing and other types of marketing programs? The authors use a market-research technique called "conjoint analysis" to help managers evaluate the relative benefits of various types of affinity marketing programs, including sponsorship of social causes, sports, or entertainment events. Conjoint analysis involves creating a variety of hypothetical brand profiles that contain combinations of brand attributes; by asking consumers to rank the profiles, researchers can gain insights into how different brand attributes affect consumer preferences. For some of the products studied, affiliations with social causes had more positive effects on consumer rankings than affiliations with sports or entertainment events. However, this was not always true; for example, it was not the case for the milk brands studied, suggesting that the effect of social-cause marketing initiatives may vary by industry. Also discusses how brand managers can use conjoint analysis to compare potential marketing initiatives.

Traditionally, the people responsible for positioning brands have concentrated on the differences that set each brand apart from the competition. But emphasizing differences isn't enough to sustain a brand against competitors. Managers should also consider the frame of reference within which the brand works and the features the brand shares with other products. Asking three questions about your brand can help: Have we established a frame? A frame of reference signals to consumers the goal they can expect to achieve by using a brand. Are we leveraging our points of parity? Certain points of parity must be met if consumers are to perceive your product as a legitimate player within its frame of reference. Are the points of difference compelling? A distinguishing characteristic that consumers find both relevant and believable can become a strong, favorable, unique brand association, capable of distinguishing the brand from others in the same frame of reference.

Designed primarily to give students the opportunity to evaluate brands by breaking down individual attributes and analyzing performance in these areas. In doing so, students will be able to isolate a brand's distinct characteristics and decide which areas are the most important for improving brand performance.

Most managers recognize the value in building and properly managing a brand. But few can objectively assess their brand's particular strengths and weaknesses. Most have a good sense of one or two areas in which their brand may excel or may need help. But, if pressed, many would find it difficult even to identify all the factors they should be considering. To give managers a systematic way to think about their brands, Tuck School professor Kevin Lane Keller lays out the ten characteristics that the strongest brands share. He starts with the relationship of the brand to the customer: The strongest brands excel at delivering the benefits customers truly desire, he says. They stay relevant to customers over time. Pricing truly reflects consumers' perceptions of value. Keller then moves on to consider marketing strategy and implementation: Strong brands are properly positioned. The brand stays consistent. Sub-brands relate to one another in an orderly way within a portfolio of brands. A full range of marketing tools are employed to build brand equity. Finally, he looks at management considerations: Managers of strong brands understand what the brand means to customers. The company gives the brand proper support and sustains it over the long term. And the company consistently measures sources of brand equity. By grading a brand according to how well it addresses each dimension, managers can come up with a comprehensive brand report card. By doing the same for competitors' brands, they can gain a fuller understanding of the relative strengths of their own brands in the marketplace.

Effective brand management requires taking a long-term view of marketing decisions. Managing brands for the long run involves reinforcing brands or, if necessary, revitalizing brands. Reinforcing brands involves ensuring innovation in product design, manufacturing, and merchandising and ensuring relevance in user and usage imagery. Another critical consideration in reinforcing brands is the consistency of the marketing support that the brand receives, both in terms of the amount and nature of that support. Revitalizing a brand, on the other hand, requires either that lost sources of brand equity are recaptured ("a back to basics" approach) or that new sources of brand equity are identified and established. Two general approaches are possible: expanding the depth and/or breadth of brand awareness by improving brand recall and recognition of consumers during purchase or consumption settings; and improving the strength, favorability, and uniqueness of brand associations making up the brand image (either in terms of existing or new brand associations).