GB/T 39906-2021Requirements on brand management (English PDF)

3.1 Brand

Intangible asset, including but not limited to: names, terms, symbols, images, logos, designs, or combinations thereof. It is used to distinguish products, services, and/or entities, or both. It can form unique impressions and associations in the awareness of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits (value). [Source: GB/T 39654-2020, 3.1]

3.2 Brand management

Regarding the management of the brand (3.1).

3.10 Brand identity element

The element that is used to identify and distinguish the various concepts, behaviors and visuals of the brand.

NOTE 1: The main brand identity elements are brand name, logo, image representation, brand slogan, music, packaging and symbols.

NOTE 2: Brand slogan is a publicity language that reflects the brand concept, brand interests or brand core values. [Source: GB/T 29185-2012, 2.19, modified]

3.11 Brand extension

The behavior of using an established brand equity to expand, including upward extension, downward extension, horizontal extension, vertical extension, brand co-extension. [Source: GB/T 29185-2012, 2.21]

4.1 Leadership

Leaders at all levels establish a unified purpose and direction, which helps to create conditions for all employees to actively participate in achieving brand objectives.

4.2 Strategic leadership

Taking brand strategy as the command of brand management helps to achieve the sustainable success of brand management.

4.3 Systematic management

The implementation of full-staff, full-process, and systematic brand management will help achieve the expected results of brand management.

5.3 Resources

The organization shall ensure that the resources required for brand management are identified and supplied, and the process of its acquisition, distribution and use shall be managed, so as to improve the efficiency of resource use. The resources required for brand management include but are not limited to the following:

- Human resources;

- Financial resources;

- Suppliers and partners;

- Knowledge, information and technology;

- History, culture and experience;

- Trademarks, proprietary names and logos;

- Natural resources.

6.1 General rules

Brand strategy is an important part of the overall strategy of the organization. It is the result of the organization's overall planning of brand management. The formulation and implementation of brand strategy has a leading role in planning and carrying out various brand management activities.

6.2 Strategy formulation

6.2.1 Strategy formulation requirements

The organization shall formulate a brand strategy that is coordinated with the overall strategy of the organization according to the internal and external environment and the needs and expectations of related parties, ensuring:

- Determine the brand vision and clarify the purpose and direction of brand management;

- Determine a reasonable brand structure, clarify the brand positioning and brand core value of each brand;

The organization shall ensure the execution of the activities required to achieve these objectives and provide the necessary resources.

The organization shall carry out internal and external communication of the brand strategy so that customers and other stakeholders can understand and support the organization to implement the brand strategy.

7.1 General rules

Brand management activities include the entire process of brand value creation, delivery and maintenance, involving factors that affect brand value in the entire process of the organization's production and operation, especially factors that contribute to the formation of brand unique value.

The scope and content of brand management activities, including the required responsibilities, processes, procedures and resources, depending on the degree of influence of these factors on brand value.

NOTE: The result of planning for a specific brand and/or new brand can be called a brand plan.

7.2 Brand value creation

7.2.1 Overview

The organization identifies the factors that affect brand value from the five elements of brand value, and plans and implements brand value creation activities to help create higher value for customers and other stakeholders.

7.2.2 Tangible elements

Tangible elements are the material guarantee for brand management. Brand management activities related to tangible elements include but are not limited to the following:

- Determine financial resource requirements related to brand management.

Allocate required financial resources. Monitor and control the effective use of financial resources;

- Ensure that the facilities and equipment used by customers and other stakeholders are adequate and intact. Achieve the expected function and - Analyze the impact of innovation results on products, services, technologies, processes, formats, channels, especially the characteristics of advantages compared with competitors. Determine the unique value of innovation;

- Establish procedures to collect and deliver the unique value of innovations and transform them into the brand core value. Improve customers and other stakeholders' awareness of the brand core value through appropriate methods;

- When necessary, create a new brand or reposition the original brand to ensure that the brand structure and brand positioning respond to the changes brought about by the innovation;

- Identify intellectual property rights formed by innovative activities, such as trademarks, trade names, copyrights, and patents. Take the form of registration, registration, declaration and so on in accordance with the law to seek legal protection.

7.2.5 Service factors

Service factors are an important way to close the relationship with customers and other stakeholders. Brand management activities related to service factors include but are not limited to the following:

- In every link of material and information contact with customers and other stakeholders, study its value perception and service experience. Plan service activities. Seek opportunities to provide valuable differentiated services. Form service specifications;

- Ensure that the determined service specifications are compatible with its brand positioning and brand core values. When necessary, formulate service specifications for different brands, and make provisions for service types, grades, responsiveness, timeliness, service personnel, facilities and equipment;

- Formulate service provision specifications and service inspection specifications that are compatible with service specifications. Organize and implement service activities. Ensure that service activities meet regulatory requirements;

- Monitor and measure service levels. The monitored and measured indicators include but are not limited to: the number of qualified service personnel, the intact rate of service facilities and equipment, service responsiveness, service standardization, and customer satisfaction.

7.3 Brand value delivery

7.3.3 Branding

The organization shall carry out brand communication activities in a manner suitable for the acquisition and understanding of customers and other stakeholders. The content of brand communication shall reflect the brand core value, truly express the value promise, and comply with relevant laws and regulations and public order and good customs.

When the form and content of brand communication changes and affect the interests of customers and other stakeholders, the changes shall be explained to customers and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner.

7.4 Brand value maintenance

7.4.1 Overview

Organize, plan and implement brand value maintenance activities such as brand protection, brand renewal, brand extension, reputation and risk management, brand culture construction and so on. Help prevent brand value from being damaged, and continue to maintain and enhance brand value.

7.4.2 Brand protection

The organization shall make provisions for the identification, use, protection and disposal of brand assets. The organization shall ensure to:

- Formulate measures to respond to incidents of brand equity violations. Prevent damage to the interests of customers and other stakeholders;

- Through reasonable trademark registration, patent application and other activities, including adopting defensive trademark registration, intellectual property layout and other methods, protect the image and competitive advantage of the brand in accordance with the law;

- Make regulations on brand management and usage rights. The legal relationship of all relevant parties shall be clarified in activities such as brand authorization and franchising;

- Establish procedures to identify, respond to and deal with violations of the law. Establish contacts with relevant administrative and judicial institutions.

Protect brand rights. Protect the interests of customers and other stakeholders.

8.2 Brand management evaluation

8.2.1 Overview

Organize, plan and implement brand management evaluation activities. Help to judge the status and level of brand management. Identify opportunities for improvement.

8.2.2 Determination of evaluation method and content

The organization can use internal or external methods to carry out brand management evaluation activities. When using internal evaluation methods, the organization shall ensure that the evaluators are competent for the tasks they undertake. The content of brand management evaluation includes but is not limited to the following aspects.

- Process monitoring and maturity review.

- Brand evaluation. The organization shall ensure that the arrangements for process monitoring and maturity review are compatible with the importance of the process and the organization's need to improve brand management capabilities.

The organization shall determine brand evaluation methods and indicators from the five elements and five dimensions of brand value. Evaluation indicators shall be adapted to the organization scale, brand type, evaluation purpose, external regulatory environment and other factors.

NOTE: Legal dimensions, customer and other stakeholder dimensions, market dimensions, economic and policy environment dimensions, and financial dimensions are collectively referred to as five dimensions.

8.2.3 Implementation of evaluation activities

The organization shall implement brand management evaluation activities in accordance with prescribed procedures. Record the evaluation information obtained. Report the phenomenon found that the requirements are not met or the expected objectives are not achieved.

The organization shall analyze the evaluation information. When needed, different methods can be used to analyze and compare the information. Compare with major competitors, other optional brands or benchmarks.

The organization shall be based on the analysis of the evaluation information.