Brand Strategy
Three Lines of Business
A model for organizing your revenue into three manageable buckets.
What it is:
The Three Lines of Business framework explores how brand creates value through three financial levers:
- Cost to produce
- Price to consumer
- Perceived value
The greater the perceived value relative to cost, the stronger your pricing power. And pricing power is a sign of brand strength. This model helps clients understand how strategic branding efforts allow companies to charge more, protect margins, and grow profitability.
It’s a helpful tool for connecting branding to the balance sheet—especially when you’re trying to sell the value of marketing to leadership.
The Three Lines of Business framework helps organizations clarify how they generate revenue or value. It breaks down a business into three core categories: primary services, supporting services, and emerging opportunities.
By mapping out these lines of business, teams can see which areas require investment, which are over-resourced, and where future growth is most likely. This framework is useful for resource allocation, hiring decisions, and marketing prioritization.
It’s also an internal communication tool. When everyone understands the lines of business, departments can align around shared priorities, work more efficiently, and better understand their role in growth.
Use it when:
- Annual planning
- Repositioning the firm
- Evaluating new opportunities
Why it works:
- Encourages strategic focus
- Helps with internal alignment
- Balances innovation and stability
Want to simplify your business lines?