Branding Insights that Matter to Companies that Make a Difference

New Brand Strategy: From Silo-ed Brands to Brand Ecosystems

“No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.” -Reid Hoffman, CEO Netflix Darwin Overturned Years ago, I was fortunate to be introduced to a new theory of evolution put forth by Dr. Martin Nowak, head of the Program for Evolutionary Dynamics at Harvard. It seems that Darwin may have had it all wrong. The evolution of humanity may not have been the result of the survival of the fittest after all. According to Nowak, those who survived were the ones who cooperated with one [...]

Growth Amidst Chaos? It’s Time to Enchant People.

"I do sell fun." -Kenny Chesney Growth from Stoking the Human Spirit We live in a world where that which can be envisioned is often realized. And, that which is unthinkable, often occurs. It is a time of unimaginable invention and disruption, where profit and growth (the imperatives of all corporations) must now be driven by new revenue and human performance rather than cost cutting. Companies must do more than innovate and sell in order to grow, because new dynamics are at work in a world where people feel under siege from unexpected directions and beleaguered. New [...]

Corporate Branding: Soft Power that Emotionally Persuades

"Soft power is not merely the same as influence. It is also the ability to attract. A country may obtain the outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries admire its values, emulate its example, aspire to its level of prosperity and openness. This soft power—getting others to want the outcomes that you want—co-opts people rather than coerces them. Soft power rests on the ability to shape the preferences of others." -Joseph S. Nye Jr., Prior Dean Harvard Kennedy School How Brand and Reputation Differ Reputation and brand are intertwined, confused and are different assets. Corporate [...]

Brand Strategy 2020: Building Strong Brands in a World of Constant Change

"I had been told from school onwards that the best definition of a human being was man the tool-maker – yet I had just watched a chimp tool-maker in action. I remember that day as vividly as if it was yesterday." -Dr. Jane Goodall Changing World Challenges Brand Power Brands are intellectual properties that operate in the minds of people, persuading them to see something in a certain way. Brands are also context-sensitive, meaning that their value shifts based on the social, cultural environment in which they operate. When culture moves in a slow and predictable way, [...]

Powerful Branding and the Iconic Hermès Brand

“Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.” -Coco Chanel (fashion designer, founder Chanel) Powerful Branding - Amazing Hermès Story What Makes a Powerful Brand? Branding enhances shareholder value, it can become a catalyst for better leadership, it enables a shared vision to be driven throughout the organization, and it can help to balance short- and long-term perspectives and performance. But what makes a powerful brand? A look at some of the most iconic brands in business history such as Coca-Cola, Harley Davidson, Dior, IBM, [...]

Americans Starving for Brand Meaning, Crickets

"Culture is a finite segment of the meaningless infinity of the world process, a segment on which human beings confer meaning and significance." - Max Weber, German Sociologist Americans Starving for Brand Meaning, Brands Not Answering During times of great uncertainty when the world just doesn’t seem to make sense, people turn to the familiar and the trusted to help them get through life. Historically, powerful brands have been a go-to. Thinking back on the tumultuous 1970’s, Americans counted on brands like Coke, Crest, Budweiser, McDonald’s, AT&T, Kodak and others to reinforce cultural values, [...]