That market success is no coincidence is something experts from theory and praxis agree upon. Just the same as everyone agrees that it’s not „witchcraft“ and as such reserved for just those few who are well versed in wizardry.

However, there is a great deal of uncertainty how to achieve this market success. Is it the success of a skillful marketing-mix? Is it the amount of expenditures invested in advertising, sponsoring, PR or famous testimonials that determines success or failure? Or is pricing the “magic formula” in order to stay on course during market turbulences? Or does one simply have to create a good image that invokes feelings of security and trust with the customer so that the sale basically becomes automatic and self-sustaining? Surely, each point by itself and all of them together are important.

However, the deciding factor is to give a commitment to the brand to protect its value and to sustain, support and increase it. To take all precautions necessary that the brand, as the most important asset of the company, has a future.

There has been a tendency for some time now, which bears risks for the long-term protection of brand equity, namely the short-term thinking of profits and quarterly dividends. More and more often we see, that budgets for advertising and communication are slashed, control over distribution is forgone for the sake of more stores. The maintenance at the point-of-sale is being downgraded and after-sales service is scaled down, just to name a few examples.

The belief in an almost infinite power of sales volume might be one of the biggest misapprehensions companies still succumb to today. Losing business volume or simply jeopardizing it can often cause serious difficulties.

How does this affect the value of the brand? Without a doubt it is accepted by many as the most important corporate asset. However, do many of those responsible really act like it?

Naturally, for the success or failure of a company, sales volume is a reference point not to be underestimated. Ultimately it is in many cases not more than a misleading and arbitrary factor. For companies in mature markets with fierce competition and high competitive pressure, where products become increasingly interchangeable, where desirability and attractiveness of brands and the sovereignty and independence towards retail become more and more significant, it is therefore necessary to implement a company strategy that orients itself consequently on the brand value.

In the term brand market value orientation you find the words value orientation and along with that the hint what the turning-point in the successful utilization of market opportunities boils down to. Companies in the future have to adjust to the visualization and realization of brand equity, because only through brands with recognized value can market leadership be achieved or maintained. At all times and everywhere do high active asset values of a company lead to predominance on the market. The brand is such an active asset value.

As entrepreneur, if you grant such high significance to the value of the brand in your way of thinking and conduct, you will be among the winners.