Chapter $12$

$1.$ Pick a company. As completely as possible, characterize its brand portfolio and brand hierarchy. How would you improve the company$$s branding strategies?

$2.$ How do technology companies leverage their brand name, and what key characteristics of their brand architecture do they typically follow? For example, contrast the brand architecture of Google and Yahoo! over the years.

$3.$ Contrastthebrandingstrategiesandbrandportfoliosofmarketleadersintwodifferentindus$-$ tries. For example, contrast the approach by Anheuser$-$Busch and its Budweiser brand with that of Kellogg$$s in the ready$-$to$-$eat cereal category.

$4.$ What are some of the product strategies and communication strategies that General Motors could use to further enhance the level of perceived differentiation between its divisions? How can online digital marketing and social media be utilized to strengthen the distinctions across brands within a particular portfolio?

$5.$ Identify a company that has organized its brand architecture using multiple levels in the hierarchy. Review the design principles summarized in Table $12-1,$ and describe whether the brand architecture successfully follows these design principles. If not, how would you improve the brand architecture?

$6.$ Scan recent news stories for an announcement concerning an acquisition of a brand. Provide a justification for the acquisition from the acquirer$$s standpoint. Describe pros and cons of the acquisition.

$7.$ Consider the companies listed in Branding Brief $12-3$ as having strong corporate reputations. By examining their Web sites, can you determine why they have such strong corporate reputations?