Which specific brand or service will be communicated among your entire portfolio? ...making choices is always tough. Some years ago the answer would be "all!" by Clients. Today in a cluttered world, where price perception drives suspicion, and media influence is chaotic, the ‘promote all' approach has died. If global houses consolidate portfolios, and companies discontinue important business units, then no Client can remain indifferent for Portfolio Decision Matrix. Which is company's Brand Builder? Brand Consolidator? Brand Beneficiary?
Portfolio Decision Matrix is the process I use in practice to decide which product or service is important and value-adding so as to be communicated and by how much. It is a step-by-step methodology that helps evaluate market trends; maturity of segments; increase or decrease of business; behavioral patterns of consumers and then see what product or service has better chances. A Client told me once to employ PR tactics for a product that was losing share ground, so as "to rejuvenate it". Employing research we discovered that the product was not performing not because of increasing competition in general, but due to the perception "it pollutes the environment". This barrier could not be overcome, and the Client insisted in finding smart PR ways to embrace communications. At the end, he failed and lost a well respected amount of money.
As a consultant I have helped many times my Client companies decide which is their champion / looser / challenger brand to exploit in communications. Then it becomes clearer to divide budgets, attention and decide which communication function among PR, Advertising or web/direct promotions is best to use. Audiences cannot stand anymore the ‘push' mentality of companies, brands and associations.
Get fuelled with Monthly Storytelling