Global Brands: Taking Stock

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 m atter 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, insta bility in emerging m arkets, the problem of diversion, and management of global relationships with advertising agents and m arket researchers. He concludes with a discussion of the issues involved in deciding whether brands should be taken global.