Brand Architecture as the Key Element of the Strategic Brand Management

This article discusses the key strategic approaches to brand architecture, which are defined by the scientific literature, and used by successful multinational companies. Brand architecture is the way of organization, management and commercialization of brands. It is the "external face" of the strategy of given company. Architecture is one of the key elements that contribute to the creation of brand value and business results of each company. Brand architecture should be based on a solid understanding of the market, competitive strategies and should support business and marketing objectives. The author summarizes the key advantages and disadvantages of different strategic approaches and considers the possibilities of their application depending on the specifics of different markets. The author deals among other with strategies of „house of brands“ and „branded house“, he compares strategic approach of a brand for each product with different forms of umbrella brand strategies and possibilities for their application. Article also deals with the issue of brand platform, which plays the key part in succesfull building of brand value on international markets. Author also deals with different levels of brand awareness and their impact on business growth of a brand.