CORPORATE STRATEGY: Are brands on the corporate agenda?
We all know that brands are important but how far have they climbed up the corporate agenda – have they really reached the boardroom yet? Consultants have been preaching for a long time that a successful brand is one of the most, if not the most, valuable asset that an organisation can own. As such, they claim that brands should be carefully managed and nurtured. Physical assets, while still obviously important, can depreciate over time. Even the most valuable human assets can come and go. But successful brands, if managed correctly, can deliver customer loyalty, premium prices, superior returns and a competitive advantage which is long term and sustainable. Historically, it could be argued, branding and brand management have been activities that belonged mainly in the realm of marketing and communications. They were managed mostly by brand and marketing directors and managers with extra help from consultancies and agencies. But there are signs that this is changing. Over the last 10 y
