Abstract:

There are a number of trends both within and outside the automotive industry which suggest that the current rather monolithic brand structure of the car industry' may soon change dramatically. Modern management techniques encourage structural diversity within an organisation and a tendency to increase the number of brands held by an organisation. Increased flexibility in car manufacturers' model ranges driven by customer needs, also lead to a great diversity of product, many of which may require the creation of sub-brands. Finally, changes in consumer behaviour will require the car manufacturers to increase their influence within the life of the consumer, spreading their activities and again giving rise to brand diversification. The common result of all the above is the potential for an explosion of brands. The paper proposes a number of measures designed to address some of the problems that this would engender. In an age of change, brands must also change, the challenge for tomorrow is the management of brand change.