<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

In an increasingly risky socioeconomic environment, management needs to proactively consider brand-related risks. To understand brands as tools for risk management, they need to understand four types of brand risk: brand reputation risk, brand dilution risk, brand cannibalization risk and brand stretch risk.
Risk management is not a natural act for brand managers trained in astute execution of the 4 Ps, and contemporary market factors make this more challenging still. With an increasingly polarized society, it is almost impossible for brands to remain untouched by ideologies. In addition, the growth in digital advertising gives brand managers less control over advertising placement and context, and the mandate to keep growing adds executional risk.
The more exposed a brand is to brand risk, the more attention this topic will need in the boardroom. To shift a company’s marketing philosophy toward risk, it is important to define marketing competences in a broader way, to be self-critical and to be proactive.
</abstract>

In an increasingly risky socioeconomic environment, management needs to proactively consider brand-related risks. To understand brands as tools for risk management, they need to understand four types of brand risk: brand reputation risk, brand dilution risk, brand cannibalization risk and brand stretch risk.
Risk management is not a natural act for brand managers trained in astute execution of the 4 Ps, and contemporary market factors make this more challenging still. With an increasingly polarized society, it is almost impossible for brands to remain untouched by ideologies. In addition, the growth in digital advertising gives brand managers less control over advertising placement and context, and the mandate to keep growing adds executional risk.
The more exposed a brand is to brand risk, the more attention this topic will need in the boardroom. To shift a company’s marketing philosophy toward risk, it is important to define marketing competences in a broader way, to be self-critical and to be proactive.

Branding and the Risk Management Imperative

Boston University, Questrom School of Business

NIM Marketing Intelligence Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Branding and the Risk Management Imperative"}

In an increasingly risky socioeconomic environment, management needs to proactively consider brand-related risks. To understand brands as tools for risk...

Branding and the Risk Management Imperative

Published Online: Apr 20, 2018

Page range: 10 - 17

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gfkmir-2018-0002

Keywords
Brand Risk, Reputation Risk, Brand Dilution Risk, Brand Stretch Risk, Brand Cannibalization Risk, Socio-Economic Risk

© 2018 Susan Fournier et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Branding and the Risk Management Imperative

Published Online: Apr 20, 2018

Page range: 10 - 17

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gfkmir-2018-0002

KeywordsBrand Risk, Reputation Risk, Brand Dilution Risk, Brand Stretch Risk, Brand Cannibalization Risk, Socio-Economic Risk

© 2018 Susan Fournier et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Brand Risk, Reputation Risk, Brand Dilution Risk, Brand Stretch Risk, Brand Cannibalization Risk, Socio-Economic Risk