1. Report - Building Brand Architecture
1 Introduction
In this report I’m going to compare two car brands. These two car brands are Volvo and BMW.
I’ve chosen these two brands because they’re both well known and established brands and
they’re both targeting the customer above upper-middle class. By writing this small report I’d
like to learn what the biggest differences are between these two global brands, but as well to
see how they’re doing when comparing their brand values.
2 Brand Pyramid
2.1 BRAND PYRAMID - VOLVO
Brand Core/Essence | Safety and freedom
Brand Personality | A family man between 40-55 years
that works as a doctor. His main goal is to travel safe.
Emo4onal Benefits | Volvo cars show reliability,
innovaIon, safety, freedom, trustworthiness. It also shows
responsibility, luxury. It prevents from worrying.
Product Benefits | High quality and safe cars that brings
you from A to B. Cars surviving even the worst Nordic
climates.
Product A8ributes | Volvo cars have 4 wheels, ergonomic
design, and several satefy features. Same characterisIc
design for all models.
2. 2.2 BRAND PYRAMID - BMW
3 Brand Comparison
When starting this brand comparison at the bottom of the brand pyramid, the product
attributes are the first to be compared. While Volvo and BMW are both cars, the differences
are that BMW is focused on well-designed sporty cars with powerful engines and a strong &
bold appearance. On the other hand, Volvo is more focused on cars that suit a complete family
and with comes with the necessary safety features that assure the car owner that his family will
arrive safely at the destination. So, this first point concludes that Volvo more focuses on safety
and BMW on high performance and power.
The second part is about product benefits. Where Volvo produces cars that are able to
conquer strong winters in for example Scandinavia with well-developed safety systems, BMWs
tend to be high performance cars that have a unique, characteristic design. These BMWs are
from high quality and it brings people to other places as fast as possible while experiencing the
high performance of these cars. This product benefits again show that BMW is tremendously
focused on performance, while on the other hand Volvo is aiming on optimizing safety and
lowering risks.
In an emotional point of view these Swedish Volvo cars show a lot of reliability and
trustworthiness as well as they appear to be responsible and as luxury cars. The BMWs are the
opposite in most areas. BMWs are also luxury cars, just like Volvo. But what BMW makes
different is that their cars showing a high social status & expensiveness and a lot of power and
boldness.
When looking at brand personality and the brand core, we see that they’re both different
brands. As concluded earlier, BMW is focused on being premium standard, showing power and
Brand Core/Essence | 3 Ps - Performance, Power, Premium.
Brand Personality | Respected Businessman between 30-45 years
being masculine, compeIIve, succesful, upper-class, self-assured
and brave.
Emo4onal Benefits | German origin associated with high quality,
social status, luxury, powerful, expensive and sports cars.
Product Benefits | High performance with a high speed, unique &
characIsIc design, high quality, worldwide presence for service
and support.
Product A8ributes | BMWs have 4 wheels, powerful engines and
typical rounded radiator grills. Moreover, a dynamic, strong & bold
appearance and great technology inside. Both family & sports cars.
