Strategic Brand Concept-Image Management

The academic paper, "Strategic Brand Concept-Image Management" by Park, Jaworski, and Macinnis, introduces a long-term framework called Brand Concept Management (BCM) for marketers. This framework outlines a sequential process for consistently managing a brand's image over its life cycle, which includes selecting, introducing, elaborating, and fortifying a brand concept. The authors argue that a brand concept—derived from basic consumer needs classified as functional, symbolic, or experiential—should guide all positioning strategies to enhance the brand's market performance. The BCM model contrasts with short-term positioning by emphasizing a planned, strategic coordination of marketing activities across the different stages. Specific positioning strategies like "problem-solving generalization" for functional concepts or "market shielding" for symbolic concepts are detailed for each management stage. Ultimately, the paper provides a normative guide for creating, maintaining, and controlling a coherent brand image, which can eventually be bundled with other products for fortification.