3. Customer Propositions for Global Brands

In my research and analysis of diverse global brands, I have observed a surprisingly simple handful of customer propositions. In general, the most successful fall into one of five categories, which I refer to as value, mass, premium, prestige, and fun brands. Each of these targets a different global segment defined by the segment’s universal needs, ranging from the biggest value per dollar to the most fun per dollar. The chapter highlights the differences among the five types of global brands, their distinct positioning, and their unique challenges. Of course, within these five types, brand managers seek to differentiate their offerings from others in the multinational corporation’s portfolio and from competitors in the space. Sometimes managers draw from the characteristics of the other four categories, and so the five types blur at the edges. In fine-tuning and repositioning your global brand proposition, you can increase your strategic options by understanding each of these categories, the customers they serve, the needs they fulfill, the challenges they face, and the value they deliver to the corporation.