In your course project, you are asked to recommend an appropriate brand architecture for a company. This project will combine the skills you have learned within this course. Prior to starting, read the Brand Architecture course project description, the "Aaker's Brand Identity Planning Model," and the instructions below to complete the project:

Steps to Complete the Course Project Use Target Corp

1. Select a company in which to do your analysis and to provide recommendations. It is recommended to select a well-known company as it is easier to find information on it. However, the choice is yours.
2. Review the company's history on its brand, products, financial and historical actions in terms of its brands, and past decisions and strategies.
3. Create a brand positioning statement for the company.
4. Complete a SWOT analysis on the company. Include specific strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats the selected company's business faces.
5. Create a new brand strategy and architecture based on the chosen brand vision. Use branding principles learned in the readings and previously completed assignments to create the new brand architecture. Use the "Aaker's Brand Identity Planning Model" as a guide, and be sure you cover each of these in your project deliverables: 
   
   
   • Brand portfolio: Identify the brands and sub-brands in your new brand portfolio. If a business is incorporated into another company, it does not necessarily need to retain a brand. Indicate which companies will be incorporated into a brand or sub-brand.
   • Portfolio and product and market context roles: Identify which brands are strategic brands, potential linchpin brands (if any exist), silver-bullet brands, or cash-cow brands. Identify the driver brands, benefit brands, endorser or sub-brands, brands, and co-brands.
   • Resources: What level of resources these brands should receive based on their new roles? Should they receive higher, the same, or lower resources than they receive now? Note that if two or more companies are integrated into one brand, their combined resources represent the current level of funding.
   • Brand structure: Portray the brand portfolio structure by using a brand hierarchy tree. Show the brand portfolio, the roles each brand play, and the market segments they serve.

Contents Required Within the Project

The following must be included in your final project:

• A one-paragraph summary of the current branding situation that identifies the current issues the company faces and the major goals of a new brand architecture.
• A brand vision, business analysis matrix, and industry competitive map. Hint: These are the items you completed in Units 1 through 4.
• A brand positioning statement.
• A SWOT analysis, which must include the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of and for the company. List at least five items for each section of the SWOT, and include a summary of the analyses.
• A brand portfolio, portfolio context roles, product and market context roles, resources, and brand structure.
• A recommended brand architecture for your chosen company that includes a chart of the brand portfolio structure.
• A description of each new and current brand. This description should set out:
  • The companies that are part of the new brand.
  • Its brand role and product and market context roles.
  • Whether or not the brand should receive higher, lower, or the same level of funding and management time in the future. Be sure to explain why.
• Any other items as outlined in the Brand Architecture course project description.