Brand Architecture

Also known as: Brand Portfolio, Brand Hierarchy, Portfolio Strategy

The structure that organizes and relates a company's brands: master brand, sub-brands, and line extensions.

Brand Architecture is the organizational system that structures and relates a company's brands to each other: how the corporate brand, product brands, and sub-brands relate. It defines how independent or dependent each brand is from the umbrella brand.

The three main models: (1) Branded House—one strong master brand for all products (e.g., Apple); (2) House of Brands—completely independent brands (e.g., P&G with Tide, Pampers, Gillette); (3) Endorsed brands—independent brands backed by the parent brand.

Brand architecture decisions have deep implications for marketing investment, category extension, and reputational risk management.