The Fluidra Branding Challenge: Reduce complexity or respect diversity?

David González, General Manager for Marketing and Business Development at Fluidra, had to review the company brand architecture. Fluidra was a multinational company listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, specializing in developing applications for water conservation, handling, treatment and enjoyment. At the end of 2011 the company was directly present in 33 countries and had a sales turnover of over $800 million, selling 90,000 SKUs to over 35,000 customers worldwide in 170 countries. Although the company was present in various markets - pool and wellness, water treatment, fluid handling and irrigation - the swimming pool residential market was the company's mainstay and was one in which Fluidra was the market leader. Since its foundation in 1969, Fluidra had used all different kinds of growth strategies: diversification; organic growth; greenfield investments and acquisitions. Over the years, the company had over the years a portfolio of some forty brands, some of which were competing against others. After gaining public listing in 2007, Fluidra came under financial analysts' spotlight. Pressure built to improve performance and greater stress was put on efficiency. The main issue facing the Board of Directors was the need to overhaul the brand architecture. The dilemma was whether to reduce complexity or to respect diversity.