Turn portfolio theory into practical calls with simple if‑then gates. Use real customer choice drivers to choose masterbrand, endorsed or standalone plays.
Which architecture best fits when sub-brands need clear differentiation but still borrow trust from the corporate name?
Co-brand-only lockup
House of brands
Endorsed brand architecture
Branded house (masterbrand)
A house-of-brands approach is most appropriate when ______.
businesses operate in unrelated categories with different value propositions
SKUs share the exact same audience and price tier
the masterbrand has very high elasticity into the category
you want to minimize portfolio management effort
In a decision tree, an early gating question is: does the masterbrand add meaning and advantage in this category without causing ______?
excess retail facings
confusion or dilution
higher channel margins
regulatory exemptions
When the masterbrand carries strong equity that customers actively choose, the default recommendation is often a ______.
silent house of brands
pure co-branding regime
shadow endorser system
branded house (masterbrand-led)
Endorsed and sub‑brand systems typically require strict ______ to avoid bloat.
channel‑specific parent names
rotating masterbrand colors every quarter
naming conventions and tiering rules
SKU‑by‑SKU logos
If there is high risk in one line that should not contaminate the parent, the decision tree is likely to point to ______.
adding a heritage tagline
insulation via a distinct brand or sub‑brand
shorter product names only
stronger masterbrand lockups
A common migration path is: product nicknames become structured ______ once repeat purchase creates recognition.
legal entities
one‑off campaign labels
slogans within creative only
sub‑brands within a defined hierarchy
Decision rights for portfolio changes should sit with ______.
regional sales teams only
a cross‑functional brand governance council
individual product managers only
external agencies only
A useful rule of thumb is to limit visible brand levels to ______ in customer‑facing assets.
five or more
as many as legal trademarks
one only in all cases
no more than three
In portfolio naming, the most important tie‑breaker variable after customer choice drivers is often ______.
board member preferences
investment efficiency across the portfolio
internal org charts
historic product codes
Starter
Revisit when to lean masterbrand vs. sub‑brand and how guardrails prevent bloat.
Solid
You’re mapping trade‑offs well—pressure‑test risk insulation and migration paths.
Expert!
Excellent—your decisions reflect customer drivers, efficiency and governance discipline.
