SAP Building a Leading TECHNOLO

Managing Business Markets

Monika Singh

EPGP-15B-052

Product Manager
Reliance Jio | Platforms & Services
 CASE C3: SAP Building a Leading Technology Brand. Part A

1. What should SAP stand for? What is its brand promise?

 Brand Identity and Positioning

 SAP aimed to position itself as a leading technology brand that offers innovative solutions
for businesses worldwide.
 The company sought to establish a strong brand identity that reflected its core values,
expertise, and commitment to driving digital transformation.

 Brand Promise
 SAP's brand promise revolved around turning businesses into the best-run enterprises by
leveraging its technology solutions and expertise.
 The company's tagline evolution, such as "The Best-Run e-Businesses Run mySAP.com"
and "The Best-Run Businesses Run SAP," emphasized its commitment to helping
organizations optimize their operations and achieve excellence.
 Customer-Centric Approach
 SAP focused on understanding customer needs and delivering solutions that empower
businesses to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
 The brand promise of turning businesses into the best-run entities underscored SAP's
dedication to driving customer success and enabling organizations to thrive in a
competitive market.
 Innovation and Reliability
 SAP's brand promise also highlighted its reputation for innovation, reliability, and product
quality, which were key factors contributing to its credibility among customers.
 The company's commitment to continuous innovation and delivering reliable solutions
reinforced its brand promise of transforming businesses into best-run enterprises.
 Global Presence and Impact:
 SAP's brand promise extended beyond borders, showcasing its global reach and impact
on businesses of all sizes and industries.
 The company's ability to adapt to changing market conditions while staying true to its
core values reinforced its brand promise of driving business success through technology.
SAP should stand for innovation, reliability, customer-centricity, and global impact, with a
brand promise centered around turning businesses into the best-run enterprises through
cutting-edge technology solutions, expertise, and a commitment to customer success. By
emphasizing these core values and delivering on its brand promise, SAP can solidify its
position as a leading technology brand trusted by organizations worldwide.
2. Would you make any changes in the branding elements? SAP brand architecture, logos?

Below are the key points regarding SAP's branding elements and potential changes that could be
made:

1. Brand Promise and Positioning:

o SAP's brand promise is to help companies become best-run businesses by leveraging
its extensive experience in diverse industries.
o The company should position itself as a technology brand that not only provides
software solutions but also understands the unique needs of different industries.
o The focus should be on showcasing how SAP can help companies of all sizes, from
small and medium enterprises to large corporations.

2. Brand Architecture and Logos:

o SAP faced challenges with inconsistent branding elements such as logo variations
and changing branding taglines.
o To address these issues, SAP needs to streamline its brand architecture by creating a
cohesive and consistent visual identity across all platforms.
o Homlish, the CMO of SAP, should prioritize aligning the branding elements, including
logos, advertising, and website design, to ensure a unified brand image.

3. Centralization vs. Localization:

o The branding and marketing functions that contribute to SAP's global brand image
should be centralized to maintain consistency.
o While localized marketing efforts may be necessary to cater to specific regional
needs, the core brand messaging should remain consistent worldwide.

4. Communication and Consistency:

o Homlish needs to effectively communicate SAP's new brand positioning to
employees worldwide to ensure alignment with the brand promise.
o Implementing guidelines for consistent messaging, look, and feel across all
communications channels is crucial to strengthening the brand identity.

5. Flexibility and Adaptability:

o SAP's brand should be flexible enough to adapt to changing market conditions and
shifting corporate strategies while staying true to its core values.
o The brand should be leveraged to appeal to companies of all sizes, showcasing SAP's
ability to cater to the needs of diverse businesses.

To enhance SAP's branding elements, it is recommended to streamline the brand architecture,

unify logos, prioritize consistent messaging, centralize key branding functions, communicate the
brand positioning effectively, and ensure flexibility to respond to evolving business objectives. By
implementing these changes, SAP can strengthen its brand identity and appeal to a wider range
of customers across various industries.
3. How can SAP ensure consistent messaging and consistent look and feel in all SAP
communications worldwide?

Below are the key points regarding SAP's branding elements and potential changes that could be
made:

1. Brand Architecture Redesign:

o SAP redesigned its brand architecture to establish a clear hierarchy, with the SAP
brand as the master brand and product sub-brands positioned under it.
o This restructuring aimed to create a cohesive visual identity and streamline
communication across all marketing channels.

2. Tagline Evolution:
o SAP introduced a tagline evolution strategy to convey its brand promise in stages,
ensuring a gradual transition and alignment with the company's core values.
o The tagline evolution approach allowed for consistent messaging while adapting to
changing business objectives and market dynamics.

3. Website Consolidation:
o SAP consolidated its websites, reducing the number of web pages and aligning
content with the new brand positioning and image.
o By centralizing content creation and governance, SAP ensured that messaging
remained consistent across global and local sites.

4. Global Site Updates:

o Changes to the global SAP website triggered automatic updates to local sites,
ensuring that all regional platforms reflected the latest brand messaging and design
elements.
o This automated process helped maintain consistency in communication and
branding across different regions.

5. Centralized Branding Functions:

o Centralizing key branding functions at SAP Global Marketing enabled the company to
oversee and control messaging, design, and branding elements globally.
o By having a centralized approach, SAP could ensure that all communications adhered
to the established brand guidelines and standards.

6. Employee Training and Guidelines:

o SAP implemented training programs and guidelines to educate employees worldwide
on the brand positioning and messaging.
o By empowering employees to understand and embody the brand values, SAP could
reinforce consistent messaging in internal and external communications.

7. Regular Brand Audits:

 o Conducting regular brand audits and assessments helped SAP monitor the
implementation of brand guidelines and identify areas where messaging or design
deviated from the established standards [R4].
o By continuously evaluating brand consistency, SAP could address any discrepancies
and maintain a unified brand image across all touchpoints.

SAP ensured consistent messaging and a cohesive look and feel in all communications worldwide
through strategic brand architecture redesign, tagline evolution, website consolidation,
centralized branding functions, employee training, and regular brand audits. These initiatives
helped SAP maintain a strong and unified brand identity across diverse markets and regions.

4. How can SAP leverage its brand to companies of all sizes??

To leverage its brand to companies of all sizes, SAP implemented various strategies and initiatives
as outlined in the case study:

1. Flexibility in Brand Positioning:

o SAP positioned its brand as a solution provider for businesses of all sizes,
emphasizing its ability to cater to the diverse needs of different companies.
o By highlighting the scalability and adaptability of its products and services, SAP
showcased its relevance to both small and large enterprises.

2. Tagline Evolution:
o The tagline evolution strategy, transitioning from "The Best-Run e-Businesses Run
mySAP.com" to "The Best-Run Businesses Run SAP," allowed SAP to communicate its
brand promise in a way that resonated with companies of all sizes.
o This gradual evolution ensured that the brand message remained relevant and
appealing to a broad spectrum of businesses.

3. Global Website Consolidation:

o SAP consolidated its global websites and aligned them with the new brand
positioning, ensuring that companies of all sizes accessing the sites would receive a
consistent brand experience.
o By streamlining the online presence, SAP could effectively communicate its value
proposition to a diverse audience.

4. Centralized Branding Functions:

o Centralizing branding functions at SAP Global Marketing enabled the company to
develop and implement strategies that resonated with companies of all sizes.
o By maintaining a unified brand image and messaging, SAP could appeal to a wide
range of businesses seeking technology solutions.

5. Customer-Centric Approach:
o SAP focused on understanding the needs and challenges of businesses across
different industries and sizes, tailoring its brand messaging and solutions to address
specific customer pain points.
 o By adopting a customer-centric approach, SAP could demonstrate its value
proposition to companies of all sizes, showcasing how its products could drive
business growth and efficiency.

6. Partnerships and Alliances:

o SAP forged partnerships and alliances with other technology providers and industry
leaders to expand its reach and offer comprehensive solutions to companies of all
sizes.
o Collaborations allowed SAP to leverage its brand reputation and expertise in
conjunction with partners to deliver integrated solutions that catered to diverse
business requirements.

SAP leveraged its brand to companies of all sizes by emphasizing flexibility in brand positioning,
evolving its tagline to appeal to a broad audience, consolidating its global websites for consistent
messaging, centralizing branding functions, adopting a customer-centric approach, and forming
strategic partnerships. These initiatives enabled SAP to effectively communicate its value
proposition and solutions to businesses of varying sizes, showcasing its ability to drive innovation
and growth across different industries