Abstract:

The content and intent of this paper are to propose and expose a structural model designed to help marketers and managers to clarify the logic lying behind a portfolio of brands to fully understand the corporate and marketing implications of brand portfolio related decisions (mergers acquisitions deletions withdrawals etc.) and to integrate other than merely financial factors into their thinking. It describes how semiotics can profitably be used by company strategists to re-engineer their multibrand policies. It challenges the currently dominant marketing ideology of umbrella branding and highlights its dangers.