ABSTRACT
Internal to an organisation are a number of factors that influence the potential competitiveness of a firm. Marketers are in a position to influence the strategic capability of a firm by their management of the firm's corporate brand and its portfolio of product and service brands. It is essential marketers understand how these brands support, augment and enhance business unit strategy and the communication of this strategy to stakeholders and consumers. The competitive balance of the industry can be influenced by a firm's strong corporate brand and brand portfolio, enabling favourable influence on the threat of new entrants, buyer bargaining power, the threat of substitutes and the bargaining power of suppliers. At the corporate level, branding as a core competence is a means of binding together the firm and its stakeholders into a broad and strong brand community. For branding to be successful in supporting a business unit's strategy, its management must take account of the implicit prevailing operating conditions.
