As an Evaluation System in the brand field, the Ecosystem Brand Evaluation System evaluates the progress and achievements of brands in the transformation and construction of an Ecosystem Brand.
The Ecosystem Brand Evaluation System is jointly developed by Kantar, Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, and Harvard Business Review China. Brands from Haier Group were researched, and data regarding their Ecosystem Brand practice was collected for case studies and pilot verification. This new system gives companies and brands around the world access to Ecosystem Brand evaluation, encourages more companies to participate in Ecosystem Brand building, and allows the social economy to develop in a more valuable and meaningful direction.
1. Evaluation Model
In order to measure the performance of a brand, the Ecosystem Brand Evaluation System evaluates brands from three perspectives: Co-evolution, Value Circulation and Brand Purpose.
- Co-evolution: The symbiosis of all participants in the ecosystem is the necessary condition for the vigorous development of an Ecosystem Brand. Co-evolution is manifested in the continuous interaction between the brand and the user, and the collaborative co-creation with ecosystem partners. At the same time, during Ecosystem Brand building, participants can interact and co-create more smoothly, and jointly promote the progress of the ecosystem.
- Value Circulation: The continuous and cyclical growth of ecosystem value is the sufficient condition for the sustainable development of an Ecosystem Brand. The brand continues to create, deliver, and share value for users and ecosystem partners, forming cycles.
- Brand Purpose: The contribution to the promotion of sustainable development and the enhancement of the overall social value, is the ultimate mission of an Ecosystem Brand. The core of the Brand Purpose is “Maximising the Value of People”. While maximising the value of users, ecosystem partners and employees, the brand also contributes to the overall value of society.
Under these three perspectives, five core dimensions of the evaluation model are included:
2. Evaluation Method
In the process of evaluating an Ecosystem Brand, the evaluating party will combine different dimensions and types of data to comprehensively evaluate the brand’s performance in the practice of Ecosystem Brand building. The entire evaluation process includes three evaluation methods:
Quantitative Research on Brand Audiences
Expert Review on Brand Cases
Assessment of Brand Business Data
3. Evaluation Results
Based on the performance index of participating brands, the final evaluation results are integrated and presented as an “Ecosystem Brand Energy Map”.
Based on the point of trisection of the vertical and horizontal axis, the Ecosystem Brand Energy Map is divided into three areas with light to dark colours. The brands distributed in these three areas are defined as either a Climber, a Contender, or a Leader.
Climber: intends to transform to an Ecosystem Brand and has taken actions.
Contender: has transformed to an Ecosystem Brand rapidly with key breakthroughs.
Leader: has outstanding achievements and has made a remarkable impact in Ecosystem Brand building.
Through the Ecosystem Brand Energy Map, participating brands can clarify their own development maturity on the road to constructing an Ecosystem Brand, and at the same time gain an in-depth understanding of best practices of leading brands. Furthermore, the brand can continue to achieve breakthroughs in the transformation and construction of an Ecosystem Brand, from Climber, to Contender, and finally to Leader level.
4. Participation Condition and Value
The ecosystem is without boundaries. The evaluation of an Ecosystem Brand on a global scale does not limit the industries and regions where the participating brands are located; however, the following three conditions must be met to ensure the feasibility of evaluation:
- Branded operation: Participants need to carry out branded operations, that is, have a brand name, logo, brand purpose and vision, etc., and carry out corresponding brand building activities.
- Brand transformation intention: Participants are already transforming, or are willing to transform, into an Ecosystem Brand, such as by building a multi-win and symbiotic ecosystem, dynamically capturing user needs, and working with ecosystem partners to create customised products/services/solutions covering all scenarios for users.
- Case/data provision: Participants can provide brand cases and related data during the evaluation cycle as required.
Participating in Ecosystem Brand evaluation can bring multiple benefits to participating parties:
- Use the open and diversified Ecosystem Brand communication platform to communicate and discuss with Ecosystem Brand builders/experts to improve your own Ecosystem Brand building path
- Understand your own brand development maturity on the Ecosystem Brand-building path, and transform to a more mature stage of Ecosystem Brand through benchmarking research on Leaders
- Improve brand awareness and brand influence, and obtain more resources and opportunities
- Improve employee pride and attract more talent; people who agree with the development direction of the brand and want to join the company.
5. Evaluation System Call to Action
Every concept needs to be verified in the real world, and be further evolved and improved. A brand, an institution or an industry field alone cannot accomplish the exploration and research of the Ecosystem Brand paradigm and the construction and development of the Ecosystem Brand Evaluation System.
As a new and all-inclusive brand paradigm, the Ecosystem Brand can have a long-term and far-reaching impact on all parties involved in the ecosystem, and even on a broader social level. Therefore, we hope to cross the boundaries of brands, industries, countries and regions, and allow brand builders, industry experts, research institutions, and many more to participate in the construction and evolution of the Ecosystem Brand Evaluation System to communicate, discuss, learn, and practice together – and truly benefit from it.
The Ecosystem Brand Evaluation System will officially open evaluation to global companies in 2022, and detailed participation procedures and time arrangements will be released at that time. As an open platform, the Ecosystem Brand Evaluation System will provide participants (including participating brands, experts and scholars, research institutions, etc.) with rights including, but not limited to, the following: understanding and participating in Ecosystem Brand evaluation, participating in the research and discussion of Ecosystem Brand concepts, learning Ecosystem Brand best practices, and exploring brand growth and development paths.
We hope that participants from across the world will join us in this platform, learning and benefiting from the platform, growing together and ultimately making the Ecosystem Brand paradigm prevail worldwide.
We sincerely invite brands to join us in this platform, to transform and evolve your brands to win in this new era.
To participate in the Ecosystem Brand Evaluation, please contact ariel.cheng@kantar.com.
To get an introduction to the Ecosystem Brand Evaluation System, please fill in the form below.