Download Article
To Suggested Citation
Suggested Citation
Hupp, O., Robbins, D., & Fournier, S. (2018). At-Risk Brand Relationships and Threats to the Bottom Line. GfK Marketing Intelligence Review, 10(1), 58-63

Register for our Newsletter

NIM Marketing Intelligence Review – Brand Risk Matters

At-Risk Brand Relationships and Threats to the Bottom Line

Authors

  • Oliver Hupp, Global Director Brand Strategy & Tracking, GfK Brand & Customer Experience, Nuremberg, Germany
  • David Robbins, Global Director Customer Experience, GfK Brand & Customer Experience, Detroit, MA, USA
  • Susan Fournier, Senior Associate Dean, Questrom Professor in Management, and Professor of Marketing, Boston University, Questrom School of Business, Boston, MA, USA
Download Article

Oliver Hupp, David Robbins and Susan Fournier 

Like a stock portfolio, each relationship type offers a brand higher or lower growth opportunities and risks. The type of relationship is particularly relevant in brand crisis events. When a brand is hit by a crisis, it is not necessarily the most successful strategy to focus exclusively on protecting positive emotional relationships. At-risk relationships are affected more than others and can lead to a significant decline of brand value. 
Our cases highlight that at-risk relationships represent a critical, but often overlooked, aspect of a brand’s relationship portfolio. Risks range from negative word of mouth that might have a negative impact on potential new customers to clear retention risk. Marketers should manage these risks proactively by identifying and investigating the nature of their customer relationships and by responding frankly and credibly to crisis events. 

Authors

  • Oliver Hupp, Global Director Brand Strategy & Tracking, GfK Brand & Customer Experience, Nuremberg, Germany
  • David Robbins, Global Director Customer Experience, GfK Brand & Customer Experience, Detroit, MA, USA
  • Susan Fournier, Senior Associate Dean, Questrom Professor in Management, and Professor of Marketing, Boston University, Questrom School of Business, Boston, MA, USA
Share Publication
Suggested Citation
Hupp, O., Robbins, D., & Fournier, S. (2018). At-Risk Brand Relationships and Threats to the Bottom Line. GfK Marketing Intelligence Review, 10(1), 58-63


Other articles of the MIR issue “Brand Risk Matters”

Here you can find more exciting articles of this issue.

To the entire issue

[Translate to English:]

Branding and the Risk Management Imperative

In an increasingly risky socioeconomic environment, management needs to proactively consider brand-related risks. To understand brands as …

Go to article

How Truthiness, Fake News and Post-Fact Endanger Brands and What to Do About It

Brands can interact both directly and indirectly with fake news. In some instances, brands are the victims of fake news and, other times, …

Go to article
[Translate to English:]

When Brand Familiarity Breeds Risk: The Curse of Negative Knowledge

In today’s world, knowing more about a brand can make people think worse of it. Rather than helping a brand, increased familiarity can …

Go to article

Managing the Risk in Human Brands

The physical and social realities, mental biases and limitations of being human differentiate human brands from others. It is their very …

Go to article
[Translate to English:]

Don’t Get Eaten! Understanding and Handling Cannibalization Risk

To minimize the potential loss of market share and profits, it is important to understand factors that drive cannibalization. Key brand …

Go to article
[Translate to English:]

How Consumers’ Styles of Thinking Can Control Brand Dilution

Understanding consumers’ ways of thinking can help identify strategies to limit brand damage and elicit more favorable reactions from …

Go to article
[Translate to English:]

Marketing Spending and Brand Performance Volatility

If company revenues fluctuate, the resulting volatility makes it more difficult to project the company’s future revenues and earnings and …

Go to article
[Translate to English:]

Interview: The Frontlines of Brand Risk

Whether it be the NFL, Dove, Wells Fargo, VW or countless others–managers need only open a daily newspaper to see how things can go …

Go to article

Latest issues

2024-10

Platform Business

Go to issue

2024-04

Generative AI - Reshaping the Marketing Landscape

Go to issue

2023-11

Virtual Consumer Experiences - The Future of Shopping in the Metaverse

Go to issue
Scroll to top