Real branding isn’t a beauty contest about the most creative advertising. It’s about boosting the bottom-line.
- Example: Marks & Spencer’s revival
- Real brands build on deep, immersive insights. You find these out in the real world, not watching 8 strangers drinking cheap wine from behind a 2-way mirror
- Example: Pampers learnt from child experts that dry babies sleep well, play more, and so develop better
- Real brands drive the whole business, not just the image wrapper of advertising and logo Example: Apple (product, design, store, website, packaging, innovation)
- Real brands are authentic, building on a genuine product truth. Accepting that “all products are the same” is surrendering to retailers’ own label brands
- Example: the product passion of innocent smoothies
- Real brands use emotion (“sizzle”) to sell a compelling product story (“sausage”). Emotion without product truth is just sponsored entertainment
- Example: Harley Davidson’s rugged, rough at the edges, throatily roaring bikes
- Real brands avoid “brand ego trips” when extending, by sticking to what made them famous and avoiding extensions with no added value
- Example: Dove’s extension into shower, hair and deo based on its 1/4 moisturising cream product truth
- Real brands are a magical mix of smart strategy and excellent execution
- Example: Gu puddings’ perfect product and phenomenal packaging
- Real brand leaders inspire their people by saying less and doing more, being the living, breathing embodiment of their brand
- Examples: Brand CEOs Steve Jobs/Apple, Richard Reed/Innocent, Silvia Lagnado/Dove