Abstract
Strategic management and decision-making for the brand portfolio are essential means of maintaining competitive advantage. Brand portfolio strategy is attracting attention as a method of managing multiple brands. This paper looks at the cosmetics industries of Japan and Korea, comparing the brand strategies of Shiseido and Amorepacific, leading companies in these countries, to examine the importance of brand positioning in strategy for competitive advantage. It also considers positioning in brand portfolio strategy, through consistency between companywide strategies and individual strategies from a competitive strategy perspective.
Previous studies have discussed the strategic importance of diversification of risk, synergy effects, and efficient operation through the composition of the brand portfolio. This study considers the differences between the brand portfolio and its constituents the corporate brand and individual brands, from a competitive strategy perspective. It also reviews the brand positioning of Shiseido and Amorepacific by comparing their brand deployment graphed in three dimensions along the axes of function, price range, and distinctiveness, based on product characteristics. The results showed that while Shiseido focuses on function and price range, Amorepacific focuses on distinctiveness and function, leading to some new discoveries regarding the strategies of both companies. While it had not been possible to describe consistency between positioning of the corporate brand strategy and individual brand strategy solely from a traditional competitive strategy perspective, the author was able to identify such consistency through depiction along three axes.
