Brand Architecture Consolidation Plan

Brand Architecture Consolidation Plan for Coastal Essentials

Current Portfolio Analysis

Portfolio Overview: Coastal Essentials currently manages 12 consumer brands across personal care, home goods, and wellness categories. This complexity stems from five acquisitions over the past seven years, alongside organic brand launches targeting different demographic segments. The current structure includes:

• 3 premium personal care brands (Oceana, TideLine, Azure)
• 4 mid-market home goods brands (BeachHouse, CoastalLiving, SandDollar, BlueWave)
• 3 wellness brands (SeaVitality, OceanMind, TidalBalance)
• 2 value-oriented personal care brands (SeaFresh, CoastCare)

Equity Assessment:

• High equity brands: Oceana (85% recognition in target market), BeachHouse (76% recognition), SeaVitality (72% recognition)
• Medium equity brands: TideLine, CoastalLiving, OceanMind, BlueWave (40-60% recognition)
• Low equity brands: Azure, SandDollar, TidalBalance, SeaFresh, CoastCare (below 40% recognition)

Audience Overlap Analysis:

• Significant overlap (>70%) between Oceana and TideLine consumer bases
• Moderate overlap (40-60%) between all home goods brands
• Minimal overlap (<30%) between wellness brands and other categories
• High cannibalization between SeaFresh and CoastCare (estimated 65% overlap)

Operational Implications:

• Current structure requires duplicate marketing teams, supply chains, and R&D efforts
• Estimated annual redundancy cost: $3.2M
• Brand confusion documented in consumer research, with 42% of customers unaware of brand relationships

Recommended Brand Architecture

Target Model: Branded House with Endorsed Sub-brands

Primary Recommendations:

1. Maintain as flagship brands:
   • Oceana (premium personal care)
   • BeachHouse (home goods)
   • SeaVitality (wellness)
2. Merge into parent brands:
   • TideLine → Oceana by TideLine, eventually fully absorbed
   • CoastalLiving, SandDollar, BlueWave → BeachHouse Collections (with distinctive product lines)
   • OceanMind, TidalBalance → SeaVitality Specialized Collections
3. Sunset with migration paths:
   • Azure (transition customers to Oceana premium line)
   • SeaFresh and CoastCare (consolidate into new Coastal Essentials Basics line)

Architecture Visualization: [Brand relationship diagram would appear here]

Transition Strategy

Migration Approach:

• Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Endorsed branding introduction
• Phase 2 (Months 4-9): Gradual visual identity alignment
• Phase 3 (Months 10-18): Complete transition to target architecture

High-Stakes Area Plans:

1. Loyalty Program Consolidation:
   • Create unified Coastal Rewards program
   • Implement point equivalency system for transitioning customers
   • Maintain premium tiers for high-value customers
   • Timeline: 6-month phased rollout with 3-month overlap period
2. E-commerce Integration:
   • Develop unified digital platform with brand filtering
   • Implement cross-brand search functionality
   • Create personalized landing experiences based on previous brand affinity
   • Timeline: 9-month technical development with beta testing among loyal customers

Stakeholder Communication Strategy:

• Customers: Phased announcement emphasizing expanded benefits, preview communications
• Retailers: 90-day advance notification, merchandising support, updated planograms
• Employees: Comprehensive training, cross-brand education, clear role transitions
• Investors: Quarterly updates on consolidation milestones and performance metrics

Measurement Framework:

• Brand equity tracking (quarterly): Recognition, preference, and perception metrics
• Financial performance: Marketing efficiency (+25% target), sales maintenance (95% retention target)
• Customer experience: Satisfaction scores, confusion metrics, loyalty program engagement
• Operational efficiency: Supply chain optimization, vendor consolidation savings

Implementation Roadmap

[Detailed 18-month timeline with key milestones, responsibilities, and contingency triggers]

Final Recommendations

Based on our analysis, the proposed consolidation will reduce operational complexity by approximately 40% while preserving an estimated 92% of current brand equity. The three-tier architecture maximizes efficiency while maintaining differentiation in key market segments. We recommend beginning with the loyalty program consolidation as an initial pilot to establish processes and validate customer response before proceeding with the full architecture transition.