Identimod: Modeling and managing brand value using soft computing

• A decision support system for evaluating branding systems with intangible variables
• Identimod uses system dynamics modeling, soft computing, and social network analysis.
• It supports linguistic description, model validation, and participatory modeling.
• The process consists of generation, diagnostics, validation, and utilization modules.
• The framework is applied to a real rebranding case of a Spanish seafood company.

Brands are one of the most important of a firm's assets. Brand-managing activities are typically related to brand positioning and integration with marketing campaigns, and can involve complex decisions. The branding of an organization is indeed a dynamic system with many cause-effect relationships as well as intangible and heterogeneous variables. In order to help brand managers and marketers, we propose a decision support system, named Identimod, for modeling and evaluating branding strategies. Identimod uses non-linear dynamic modeling and soft computing to identify the branding system from different data sources through a linguistic user interface, and to provide advanced methods for diagnostics and validation. Identimod steps through a participatory, cyclic, and iterative process consisting of four different modules to increase the confidence and validity of the model, which should facilitate its acceptance by managers and stakeholders. Throughout this paper we demonstrate the modeling process and managerial benefits of Identimod by forming and answering the marketing questions for a real rebranding case of a seafood company in Spain.