Global Brands: Taking Stock

Abstract

Global brands have never quite delivered on their promise. This article focuses on why this may now be about to change. The author first addresses three basic issues: why global brands matter more now than in the past; what distinguishes them from national brands; and the main building blocks for a global brand. He then moves on to some of the key problems which face managers of international brands today: the new Euro‐zone, instability in emerging markets, the problem of diversion, and management of global relationships with advertising agents and market researchers. He concludes with a discussion of the issues involved in deciding whether brands should be taken global.