Eight Common Brand Problems

In my fifteen years as a brand strategy consultant, I have interacted with the managers of several hundred different brands. This is often in a client/consultant relationship. At other times, it is in the context of an educational workshop or conference. Either way, I have been made aware of many brand problems. Here are the brand problems that organizations seem to encounter most often:

1. The competition has gotten intense and we have not kept up. Our products are no better than anyone else's and our brand no longer delivers a unique value proposition.
2. We have grown through multiple mergers and acquisitions and now have a very large and messy portfolio of brands that is confusing to our customers and expensive to maintain. 
3. Our new owner is changing the strategic direction of our business. Our current brand position will no longer work for the business' new direction.
4. Our new CEO has a new vision for the business and needs to change the brand to match that new vision.
5. We are launching a new product, service or business and it requires a brand strategy and identity.
6. We are expanding our brand to include new product or service categories or new customer segments and the old brand strategy or identity will no longer work. 
7. A disruptive technology has made our business obsolete. We need to change our business model and our brand.
8. Our new marketing vice president or CMO wants to refresh the brand based on his or her vision for the brand.