The Brand as Strategic Asset of the Organization Liviu CRĂCIUN 1 Cătălin Mihail BARBU Keywords: brand, branding, strategy, strategic asset, Ansoff matrix. JEL classification: M31, M10 1. Introduction At present the purchasing act has become more than an action to satisfy the basic needs. The consumers search for explanations, motivations, associations of the buying decision with familiar elements in order to achieve the maximum satisfaction. The brands have become more than an element of identification and differentiation: they capture and influence the decision-making process, they create urgency and addiction. Brands sell rather ideas than products (Klein, 2006). The brand is the magnet that production needs in order to attract consumers (Kornberger 2010, p. 21). The organizations seek to maximize the contact points with the brand in order to attract and to retain loyal customers. This is possible through the management of brand meaning. 2. The strategy of the organization The corporate strategy refers to the organizations’ goals, the mission of the organization and the vision of the future. The strategy establishes the fields of actions, sets the framework and it must be aligned with the organizational values and culture. The strategy should be relevant for the public and should emphasize the differences from the competitors. 1 Liviu CRĂCIUN, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Romania, E-mail: lcraciun70@yahoo.com Cătălin Mihail BARBU, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Romania, E-mail: catarom@yahoo.com Review of International Comparative Management Volume 15, Issue 1, March 2014 69 Abstract In this paper we intend to capture and to explain the role of brands as strategic assets. We discussed the role of the brands in the Ansoff matrix and then we realized a study regarding the use of brands in correlations with the strategies utilized by the Romanian companies. The results showed that managers are not fully aware of the brands potential in attending strategic goals. Because of the increasing role of the brands, they can be considered as strategic assets capable to ensure differentiation and competitive advantage of the organizations. The brands are the leading force that can bring together the general strategy of the enterprise, the human resources, the production operations and the marketing policies.