The role of the brand in contemporary marketing is gradually evolving due to consumers changing attitudes. On the one hand one can see a decline in consumer loyalty towards brands, and their scepticism and caution towards the values and promises they offer. On the other hand, with the growing number of brands in a highly competitive environment, having a well-known brand is no longer sufficient, as there are more and more of them. A brand must have something unique, something to persuade consumers to choose it. Configuring brand architecture in the way most attractive to the consumer is an art which, without comprehensive market research, cannot be achieved.

An interesting development on todays markets is the growing position of distributors own brands, which though from a theoretical point of view not true brands are effectively competing with significantly more expensive producers brands. This is turn is eroding the position of the latter, and blurring the real sense of the concept of a brand in consumers minds.

This all means that even on the pretty saturated markets for fast-moving consumer goods the situation is changing rapidly. While some bands fight for the position of leader, others reposition, migrate and consolidate, and new players are joining the fray. One can also observe brands gaining strength in categories and markets in which they have not previously held roles of any importance.

The basic tool used in brand rivalry is marketing communication. Achieving the desired share in outlay on ATL advertising is no longer sufficient for building up market position. Communication has to accurately achieve a brands adopted strategy; it has to be clear but also creative, and stand out in the information noise attacking the consumers consciousness at every step. Hence the growing importance of other channels of marketing communication, such as BTL, the Internet, and direct marketing.

Brand and communication are frequent objects of market research studies. Pentor currently offers a number of standard tools for their investigation:

• PBIS comprehensive study of brand image and identity aimed at achieving optimum brand positioning
• Equity Engine a licensed international tool investigating the value of a brand and its component parts
• Loyalty Driver a licensed technique researching customer loyalty towards a brand and analysing the sources of this loyalty
• Brand Audit qualitative brand diagnosis
• Publitest and Pentestor tests of the communicative effect of advertising
• ScreenLab an integrated approach supporting the selection, evaluation, and optimisation of advertising, product creation, and packaging
• TRACE tracking the effectiveness of advertising campaigns
• Audio Impact a test covering the audio side of an advert
• Pentor Sales Promotion Assessment research covering the effect of shop promotions
• Web Clinic Internet page test