142) Brand Hierarchy: How to Manage and Extend Your Brand Without the Chaos
In this episode of CoBB, hosts Sharavana Raghavan and Sudeep Chawla break down the often-misunderstood world of brand architecture — offering a practical framework to help brand builders avoid chaos while scaling their portfolios. Using relatable examples from everyday brands like Cadbury, Colgate, and Tata, the duo explores how marketers can structure brands for clarity, consistency, and long-term value.
Whether you’re managing a house of brands or figuring out how far your brand can stretch, this episode gives you the language, logic, and levers to make better decisions — without losing consumer trust.
KEY THEMES EXPLORED
The Building Blocks of Brand Architecture
Understand the differences between endorser brands, mother brands, sub-brands, and variants, and when to use each.
The ‘Brand Stretch’ Dilemma
Learn how to assess if your brand can move into new categories without diluting its equity or confusing the consumer.
Why Structure Drives Scale
How a well-designed brand hierarchy unlocks marketing efficiency and strengthens long-term brand equity.
Consumer Lens First, Always
Avoid the common trap of structuring brands for internal convenience instead of consumer clarity.
Brand Promises Are Not Flexible
What happens when brands overextend, and why certain associations can’t (and shouldn’t) be transferred across categories.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Sub-Brands Serve New Needs
Create sub-brands when solving different consumer needs or using significantly different formats, provided your core brand promise is extendable.
Variants Offer Variety, Not Strategy
Variants are minor changes (like flavor or format) meant to refresh the consumer experience without shifting the brand’s core positioning.
Mother Brands Anchor the Portfolio
The central brand that carries sub-brands and variants under its umbrella, often the original offering that built the equity.
Endorser Brands Are Equity Enablers
These brands (like Tata or Cadbury) don’t directly shape the offering but lend trust and consistency to a wide array of products.
Structure Enables Scale
A clear brand hierarchy allows brands to scale without fragmenting investments — creating halo effects that drive marketing efficiency across the portfolio.
QUOTES
“Every time a consumer sees your brand name, they’re subconsciously recalling a promise. Break that — and you break the brand.”
“A variant is for taste. A sub-brand is for strategy.”
“Brand architecture is not a design problem. It’s a trust problem, and a scale opportunity.”
Don’t miss this episode if you’re a brand manager, startup founder, or marketing strategist looking to expand your product portfolio without confusing your consumers or breaking your brand.
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CREDITS
- Album Art & Design by ting.in
- Voiceovers by Anjale Stephanos
- Music from Zapsplat.com
