Brand decision-makers are (actually) well aware that a brand will only succeed if it is holistically considered, developed and implemented. All too often, however, brand positioning is not sufficiently used as a guiding tool across all areas of the company. This is one of the key findings from the decision-maker survey “German Brand Monitor 2021/2022”. In its fifth edition, the biggest German brand study reveals where the most important challenges for brand decision-makers currently lie.
By Hans Meier-Kortwig, CEO of GMK Markenberatung.
Brands have a particular power. They give businesses direction – particularly in tumultuous times. This can only succeed, however, when brands are holistically implemented and managed. But what are the challenges of holistic brand management? What trends really play a role for brand decision-makers in digitalisation? And what influence does the Corona pandemic have on brand management? These and other questions were put to 157 brand decision-makers in German companies. The results are presented in the decision-maker survey the “German Brand Monitor 2021/2022”, now in its fifth edition.
The momentum of the brand is not utilised
The study results reveal the sore points in brand management among German companies. One area of potential is all too often untapped: Companies do not use the brand to generate directive guidelines equally across all areas. Only around 54% of those questioned stated that directive guidelines are derived from the brand strategy for service divisions. In product development, too, only 58% have directive guidelines. This is fatal, as it is precisely services and the product experience that are the central touchpoints that convince customers of the brand over the long term and can tie them and other stakeholders to it. Where there are no directive guidelines, brands cannot be managed holistically. One finding in particular demonstrates how this is frequently the case: More than 65% of brand managers perceive securing a consistent brand experience at all points of contact as a challenge.
Digitalisation as a driver
Brands and likewise big and small companies are still “battling” with digitalisation. Many companies are not able to translate important brand dimensions into digital terms: Hence, 42% of respondents believe there is insufficient consideration of digitalisation requirements in corporate design, even though more than 66% of the brand decision-makers questioned assign increasing importance to individualisation of the brand experience – and the individualized brand experience largely takes place on a digital level. Even the current increased focus on the digital sphere that has been forced by the Corona pandemic is something the vast majority of respondents have not resolved to their satisfaction: Around 61% see the lack of alternatives to live experiences as a challenge.
The German Brand Monitor illustrates the dynamism in brand management
The German Brand Monitor offers further important findings for decision-makers on topics such as brand controlling, employer branding, brand and design, or organisation of brand management. Brand-makers can derive important findings for their own work with brands from the results – and the study likewise offers specific recommendations for action to support brand managers in their branding work.
The German Brand Monitor – now as interactive online platform
Brand management is now a fast-paced field. That’s why we have translated the German Brand Monitor – which has so far been published in print every two years – into an interactive online platform. Here, brand-makers can take part in current surveys on brand management on an ongoing basis. Register now at www.deutscher-markenmonitor.de and share your opinions on current trends and challenges in brand management!
The German Brand Monitor: Live polls on the theme of brand management and all study results are now available on the new online platform www.deutscher-markenmonitor.de.
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