Building brand meaning

While facilitating a workshop this week, I was reminded once again of the evolving nature of effective brand building and the unique mindset that is required to properly develop a great brand.

Brands are no longer merely a part of the marketing mix; they are the key driver.

The task at hand is to build a business around a strong brand, not a brand around a business. And to do this - the focus needs to be on developing meaning around a brand system. Increasingly this is done by crafting a sensorial, functional, emotional, personal and even moral relationship with people. 

If meaning is what is being built then its imperative to have crystal clear clarity and consistency as to exactly what that meaning is. Clear definitions of words matter; codification of meaning-making cannot be left to personal interpretations. Creative brand building requires strict boundaries and guardrails to guide action.

Brand relationships are complex and are sensitive to subtle changes, but the route to success over the long-term is far better facilitated by holding the mindset that the brand leads, relationships leads, meaning leads...business success is as a result of these strong yet fragile bonds that are carefully nurtured over time.