The death of brand deference: can brand management stop the rot?

Describes how brand management is becoming a team‐based activity, undertaken by senior managers from different backgrounds. While this results in a more experienced team, there is a likelihood that perceptions about the nature of the brand may differ between individuals due to large quantities of information presented and perceptual processes. New brand taxonomies, in particular those from DMB&B and Young & Rubicam, help managers quickly appreciate the nature of their brand and thus the most appropriate strategies. These taxonomies can be a useful mechanism for surfacing diversity among the brand’s team, and helping achieve a more coherent implementation of brand strategy. Presents a process to identify and resolve any diversity among the brand’s team.