WHAT IS BRANDING?

SUDIO SUDARSAN

What is Branding?

A BOTTLE OF CHANEL NO. 5 INSTANTLY COMES TO MIND

BUT
BRANDS QUICKLY MOVE BEYOND A SINGLE PRODUCT

BESIDES
BRANDS MOVE BEYOND THE COMPANY AND PRODUCTS

FEELINGS

FIRM
PEOPLE

QUALITY
SERVICE

LOGO

IF BRANDS HOLD
SUCH
FASCINATION,
ONE OF THE
PRIMARY
REASON IS THE
INABILITY TO
DEFINE IT.

A BRAND

IS A TERM

NAME, SIGN,
CH ANEL
LOGO, TRADEMARK
EX
THAT TOUCHES US IN A PE
CT
AT
IO
N
SPECIAL WAY. IT RELIES ON
BR
AND
TANGIBLE VALUES: PRODUCT,

PRICE, SERVICE, PEOPLE, PR
OM
ISE
MARKETING, AND SO ON.

IT ALSO RELIES ON PROMISES,

ASSOCIATIONS, THE STORY IT TELLS

NONE OF WHICH CAN BE COMPARED
WITH ANY OTHER.

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, BRAND IS A SUM OF MANY THINGS. IT IS A
SUCCESSFUL BLEND, A MAGIC POTION, THAT APPEALS TO THE CONSUMER.

BRANDS COMMAND HIGHEST
LOVE, RESPECT, AND LOYALTY
LOYALTY

High
RESPECT

Hi
hg

DS
AN
BR

TS
UC
OD
PR
LOVE
High
Low

IN A WAY, YOU (AND I) ARE ALSO
BRANDS, PLAUSIBLY BRANDS WITH
LOWER AWARENESS THAN MARTHA
STEWART OR ANDY WARHOL.

READY TO HEAR MY CLASSROOM EXPERIMENT?

I DIVIDE THE ENTIRE CLASS INTO EXCLUSIVE GROUPS .

1

I SHOW EVERY GROUP THE SAME ROCK. I TELL GROUP #1
THAT I PICKED THE ROCK ON CAMPUS SOMEWHERE. I ASK,
“IF YOU WERE TO BUY, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY?”

I PUT THE ROCK INTO A SHINY BOX. I TELL
GROUP #2 THAT THIS IS A ROCK FROM THE
CARVING OF MOUNT RUSHMORE.
2

3

I TALK ABOUT THE CELEBRATION OF
FREEDOM OVER COMMUNIST TYRANNY
TO ANOTHER GROUP OF MBA STUDENTS
TELLING THEM IT WAS THE ROCK FROM
1989 FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL.

..ABOUT THE ROCK THAT APOLLO
11 ASTRONAUTS BROUGHT, AND
THE GIANT LEAP OF MANKIND

4

THE PRICE OF THE ROCK EACH STUDENT GROUP QUOTES
SIZABLY DIFFERS BASED ON THE STORY OF THE ROCK.

$0 $3000

$10 $500

BRANDING THEN IS A STORY THAT

CAPTURES

MINDS AND GAINS BEHAVIOR

I HEAR YOUR SKEPTICISM.
CLASSROOM IS NOT THE REAL WORLD.

LET’S TALK ABOUT BRANDING IN THE REAL WORLD.

$12 ON THE STREETS OF MANHATTAN

$150 AT THE FLAGSHIP BOSS STORE
ON 555 BROADWAY SOHO

BOTH SHIRTS ARE 100 PER CENT COTTON AND OF HIGH QUALITY.

UNBR
ANDED DIFF
EREN
TIAL
: $138

BRAN
DED

THIS LABEL COMMANDS CONSUMERS TO PERCEIVE AND
FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THE PRODUCT PERFORMANCE.

WHY DO SOME PRODUCTS,
SERVICES, PEOPLE, AND
ORGANIZATIONS COMMAND
PREFERENTIAL BRAND APPEAL?

STARBUCKS IS THE BEST
EXAMPLE FOR ANTI MARKETING

PROMOTION:
$0

LOUD.
HEAVY.
OVERPRICED.
NOT MODERN.
UNDER- ENGINEERED.

I SPENT FOUR YEARS RESEARCHING CONSUMER TRIBES, ZEALOTS,
LOYALISTS, AND PROSUMERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES ICONS?

WHAT MAKES CONSUMERS LOVE ICONS?

INTRODUCING

The Strategy Circle

MAR
STRATEGY CIRCLE

KETI
STRA NG
TEGY

BRAN
STRA D
TEGY

BUSI
NESS
STRA
TEGY
FU
WH

ND
Y

A
?

HO M
EN
?W
TA
L EM

WH
OT
I
AT?
ON
AL
RA
TI
ON
AL

Demographic
Technical
Economic
Intermediaries Physical
Environment

M
ar
ke
tR
es
e ar
c
Product

h
Market Planning

Collaborators
Promotion
Suppliers

Place
User

Price

P.
T.
S.
Political Competitors
Social
Legal
Cultural
Information

ALL ORGANIZATIONS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

ICONIC BRANDS KNOW WHY THEY ARE DOING IT.

Reason
for
Being

AUGUST 8th 1987

“NOBODY REALLY
KNOWS WHAT
STRATEGY IS”

ICONIC BRANDS STRATEGIZE
WITH “WHY” CIRCLE FIRST.

WHY?

APPLE’S PURPOSE IS TO CHALLENGE STATUS-QUO

MOHANDAS GANDHI’S PHILOSOPHY
IN ONE WORD WAS NON VIOLENCE.

USA STANDS FOR UNALIENABLE RIGHTS: LIFE,
LIBERTY, AND PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

DISNEY IS SYNONYMOUS WITH MAGIC.

YOU CAN BUILD INTRIGUE ONLY IF YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

HOW?
WHAT?

THE WHY CIRCLE PITIABLY REMAINS FUZZY CORE IF ONE
STARTS AND ENDS WITH THE WHAT AND HOW CIRCLES.

BUSINESS STRATEGY IS FORMED ON THE ELEMENTAL
PHILOSOPHICAL OUTLOOK OF THE ORGANIZATION.

VALUE GOAL(S) PURPOSE COMPETENCY

Timeless and Audacious The reason What the
passionately- goal(s) to for being organization
held guiding provide (existence) is good at
principles aspiration doing
and
challenge

BUSINESS STRATEGY DICTATES MANY
THINGS – BRAND ARCHITECTURE IS ONE.

SINGLE BRAND ACROSS
THE ORGANIZATION

BRAND

BRANDED HOUSE

ENDORSED BRANDS

INDIVIDUAL BRANDS

PARENT BRAND

HOUSE OF BRANDS

INDIVIDUAL BRANDS

PARENT BRAND

BRAND STRATEGY IS ONLY THE FACE OF BUSINESS STRATEGY

HOW?

STRATEGY DELINEATES A SEQUENCE OF DECISIONS
THAT A COMPANY TAKES TO BE DIFFERENTIATED.

BRANDING IS NOT ABOUT BUILDING A TEMPLE;
IT’S ABOUT CREATING A RELIGION – A BELIEF SYSTEM.

FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE OF
BRANDING ORGANIZATIONS,
PRODUCTS/SERVICES, PEOPLE, AND
MOVEMENTS, I’VE GATHERED A SET OF
RECURRING MANTRA THAT
SUCCESSFUL BRANDING PROCESS
CONSISTS OF. IT HAS NOTHING REALLY
TO DO WITH TRADITIONAL MARKETING
TOOLS OR TECHNIQUES*.

*We are not talking about the ‘what’ circle yet.

INSTEAD OF SEEKING CONSTITUENTS OF
SPECIFICITY OF BRANDING PROCESS, I
SOUGHT DIFFERENCES DEVELOPED AMONG
ICONIC BRANDS TO LIST A FEW TENETS.

1 BRAND BELIEF

BRAND STRATEGY IS SEDUCING
CONSUMERS WITHOUT LOSING FOCUS
OF THE CORPORATE POINT OF VIEW.

IN 1994, STEVE JOBS ARTICULATED APPLE’S
PHILOSOPHY IN AN INTERVIEW FOR PBS..

STEVEN P. JOBS “When you grow up you tend to get told the world is
the way it is and your life is just to live your life
inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls.

Thatʼs a very limited life. Life can be much broader
once you discover one simple fact, and that is -
everything around you that you call life, was made
up by people who were no smarter than you. And
you can change life, you can inﬂuence it, you can
build your own things that other people can use.

The minute that you understand that you can poke
life and actually something will, you know if you
push in, something will pop out the other side, you
begin to change it, you begin to mold it, improve it,
and make your mark upon it.”

WHEN YOU BELIEVE IN AN
IDEOLOGY, THAT BELIEF
THEN ATTRACTS
CUSTOMERS WHO ALSO
BELIEVE IN THAT IDEOLOGY.

APPLE DESIGNED COMPUTER KIT AND
CHANGED HOME PC MARKET

APPLE LISA COMMERCIALIZED GUI IN 1983

iTUNES STORE CHANGED THE MUSIC BUSINESS
IN DIGITAL ERA

iPHONE WORKED SIMILAR MAGIC ON MOBILE
COMPUTING AND COMMUNICATIONS WORLD

IN 2011, APPLE BECAME THE MOST VALUABLE
COMPANY IN THE WORLD

2 BRAND GENESIS

CONSUMERS INTERNALIZE
BRANDS WHEN THEY KNOW HOW
THE BRAND WAS CREATED

ACROSS CULTURES, PEOPLE ALWAYS
INQUIRE, “WHERE ARE YOU FROM?”
WHEN THEY GREET OR MEET SOMEONE
NEW. THEY WANT TO KNOW YOUR STORY.

EVERY AMERICAN KNOWS JOHN PEMBERTON, AN ATLANTA
PHARMACIST, STIRRED UP A FRAGRANT, CARAMEL-
COLORED LIQUID TO SELL FOR ¢5 AT JACOB’S IN 1886.

BRAND VALUED AT $70.5B
OPERATIONAL REACH IN 200 COUNTRIES
1.7B SERVINGS PER DAY
AFTER ‘OK,’ COKE IS THE MOST USED WORD

Lemmy Kilmister is credited today
as the inventor of punk and heavy
metal music in the legendary loud
rock band, Motörhead, but his
story is very poignant and popular
with his many fans and musicians.

On Christmas eve 1945 in Stoke-
on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, Ian
“Lemmy” Kilmister was born. His
father left him/home when he was 3
months old. The calamitous
experiences of fatherless
childhood, frustrated adolescence,
and deep poverty shaped his
formative years. As 16-y/o, he
carried music equipment of other
musicians (Jimi Hendrix) hoping to
play in their band one day. He
played bass guitar with Jimi
Hendrix in the 60s, composed,
played, and sang in two albums
with Sam Gopal Band, and was part
of 70s space-rock band, Hawkwind.

“Lemmy hung out with musicians, and
would continually carry their equipment
where ever they went until they let him
play. He’s come up the hard way.”

NEVILLE CHESTERS
ROAD CREW MANAGER, JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE

THUNDERBIRD INVENTED INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Thunderbird was originally a military air force
training facility for US, Chinese, and British pilots
for WWII under US Army Lieutenant General
Barton Kyle Yount. After ending his military service
at the end of WWII, General Yount founded and
served as President of the American Institute for
Foreign Trade, known today as Thunderbird, School
of Global Management. He believed that borders
frequented by trade seldom needed soldiers.

BARTON K. YOUNT

THUNDERBIRD SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT (MBA BRAND)

RANKED NO. 1 FOR INTERNATIONAL MBA FOR A
RECORD 15 YEARS BY WALL STREET JOURNAL,
US NEWS, BUSINESS WEEK, AND FINANCIAL TIMES

“I didnʼt have to go to
Thunderbirdʼs USA campus to
meet current MBAs and talk with
faculty to evaluate and decide if I
wanted to attend Thunderbird
MBA. I wrote my GMAT only to
cinch my admission there. Once I
got to campus, I knew I was going
to ink the eagle logo somewhere
on my body. Today, it serves as a
monogram of how I realized my
dream to be a part of the
Thunderbird mystique.”

(IDENTITY CONCEALED)

3 BRAND PERSONALITY

REMARKABLE PERSONALITY
COMMUNICATES
AT A PREARTICULATE LEVEL
STRIKING AN EMOTIONAL
CHORD WITH CONSUMERS

COMPELLING STORIES AND RESONANT PLOTS
THROUGH MEMORABLE BRAND PERSONA
HELPS CONSTRUCT POWERFUL MYTHS WHICH
CONSUMERS COME TO PERCEIVE AS EMBODIED
IN PRODUCT OR SERVICE.

POWERFUL BRAND IDENTITIES ARE SENSORY
IMPRINTS THAT SUMMON THE BRAND ESSENCE.

PEW YUM SEE OUCH SHH

EVEN WITH A SHARD OF BROKEN BOTTLE,
A PERSON COULD TELL IT WAS COCA-COLA

EQUALLY FAMOUS COCA-COLA BOTTLE,
CALLED THE CONTOUR BOTTLE OR “HOBBLE
SKIRT” IS A BOTTLE WHICH A PERSON COULD
RECOGNIZE EVEN IF THEY FELT IT IN THE DARK.

FOR 125 YEARS THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE
LOGOTYPE IN THE WORLD IS COCA-COLA

SIMPLICITY IS THE ULTIMATE SOPHISTICATION.

BASIC GEOMETRIES.

ORGANIC SHAPES AND FORMS.

THE STARS AND STRIPES IS THE MOST
RECOGNIZABLE OUT OF 200+ FLAGS IN THE WORLD.

USA ICONS INHABIT VALUABLE MENTAL REAL ESTATE THAT
IS INSTANTLY AND INDELIBLY ATTACHED TO IDEOLOGIES:
EXCEPTIONALISM, DEMOCRACY, FREE SPEECH, AND LIBERTY.

35 YEARS
25 STUDIO ALBUMS
SAME IDENTITY
SAME INDIVIDUALITY
SAME GRIT

JOE PETAGNO’S DISTINCTIVE FANGED-FACE ICON
ADORNS ALL MOTӦRHEAD ALBUMS AND MERCHANDISE

MOTӦRHEAD CREATED AN INDELIBLE IDENTITY THAT HAS BEEN THE
STANDARD FOR BANDS IN MANY SUB-GENRES OF LOUD ROCK
AND AN INSPIRATION FOR ENDLESS ALLUSION, IMAGERY, AND ENERGY.

MOTӦRHEAD POPULARIZED THE COMMON APOTROPAIC
GESTURE IN THE RACY HEAVY METAL SUBCULTURE

THE LEATHER, BOOTS, COWBOY HAT, AND THE WHOLE BIKER
PERSONA WAS DEVISED TO CHAMPION PUNK AND METAL

THE BEST IDENTITIES ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE
WHEN THEY HELP ADVANCE THE BRAND.

Coherence

Authority Sustainability

Leadership Differentiation Value

Authenticity Commitment

Relevance

CHOICE OF BRAND ELEMENTS

MEANINGFULNESS: MEMORABILITY: ADAPTABILITY:
credibility, fun, easily recognized flexible enough to
interesting and recalled be updated

Running Back Quarterback

PROTECTABILITTY: Linebacker
legally secure and
competitively well-
guarded
Line of Defense
TRANSFERABILITY: mobile
within categories and across
geographies and cultures

Wide Receiver

THE BRAND ELEMENTS OF LOVEMARKS DO NOT EXIST
AS IDENTITIES. THEY BESTOW A PERSONALITY.

IDENTITY IS RECOGNITION.
PERSONALITY IS CHARACTER AND CHARISMA.

BRAND PERSONALITY IS THE
PRIMORDIAL CREATIVE AND
PERFORMATIVE FORCE CRITICAL
TO BRAND RECALL AND SUCCESS.

4 TOUCHPOINT EXPERIENCES

MEANINGFUL POINTS OF
CONTACT WITH ICONIC BRANDS
ARE ENRICHING EXPERIENCES
THAT EXCITE AND INTRIGUE

TOUCHPOINT WHEEL

Advertising
Loyalty Direct mail
programs or samples

Pre-purchase Coupons
Newsletters PRE-PURCHASE
and
incentives Each touchpoint is
an opportunity to
Post-
POST-PURCHASE
strengthen brand
Customer purchase Deals and
experiences, and
service promotions
to communicate
brand belief and
Product and brand essence.
PURCHASE
package Packaging
performance Purchase

Sales person PoP displays
Store and
shelf
placement

APPLE THREW A HAMMER IN 1984 TO DEFINE
THE APPLE BRAND MEANING AND RELEVANCE

INTERACTIONS WITH ICONIC
BRANDS TRANSMIT BELIEF

UBIQUITY IS SEEN.
EMOTIONAL PRESENCE IS FELT.

John Hodgman, the
PC guy in “Get a
Mac” is a Mac user
since 1984.

Holidays
Sports
American COCA-COLA IS
OFTEN ASSOCIATED
Refreshing
Family
get-together Tradition WITH THE MAGIC
OF CHRISTMAS,
Original
HAPPINESS – ALL
POSITIVE MENTAL
Polar Bears
“Real” ASSOCIATIONS
Invigorating Magic of
Christmas
Happy/pleasure

Rejoice

“Americans have a lifetime
love affair with Coca-Cola.
Americans took the taste
test, but do not care that
Pepsi-Cola tastes better.
Coca-Cola is a love mark.”

- KEVIN ROBERTS

PEPSI’S JOY OF COLA
ENDORSEMENT STRATEGY
FEATURED BRITNEY SPEARS FOR
MULTI MILLION-DOLLAR CAMPAIGN

SHE WAS IN THE MEDIA’S
LIMELIGHT FOR MYRIAD PERSONAL
PROBLEMS; BRITNEY WAS FOUND
DRINKING COKE IN THE IMAGES
SHOWN ON NEWS CHANNELS.

It does not matter that Thunderbird is a top
tier business school; there are twenty-five
other US b-schools that boast for its top
business programs. It does not matter that
Thunderbird is continuously ranked No. 1
for International Management by Wall
Street Journal, Business Week, or US
News; there are other business
schools in the US that are
renowned for other focus areas
in an MBA program. It does not
matter that Thunderbird is a private
school, for there are at least a dozen
more from Harvard to Dartmouth to
Stanford that are exclusive private
schools as well. But, what does matter
is Thunderbird is a military b-school. The
entire T-Bird community wouldn't think for a
moment to give their blood to their brethren in
such military camaraderie.

AT THE ENTRANCE, THERE STANDS A WALL ON WHICH THE WORD
'WELCOME' IS ENGRAVED IN ABOUT THIRTY LANGUAGES OF THE
WORLD, INSTILLING THE BRAND ESSENCE OF THUNDERBIRD.

THE FLAG-CARRYING TRADITION
IS A SOLEMN PROCEEDING TO
REINFORCE THAT THUNDERBIRD
STANDS FOR MULTITUDES:
DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT
BELIEFS, DIFFERENT YEARNINGS,
DIFFERENT HOPES, DIFFERENT
DREAMS THAT PERMEATE
THROUGH US BOTH AS A MELTING
POT AND A COLORFUL MOSAIC.

THE THUNDERBIRD OATH OF HONOR WAS THE FIRST MBA OATH EVER;
MOST BUSINESS SCHOOLS NOW FOLLOW THE STUDENT-LED PLEDGE.

THE TOWER IS AT THE HEART OF THE THUNDERBIRD CAMPUS AND ITS PAST
IS INTEGRAL TO THUNDERBIRD’S ORIGINAL “GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.”
TOWER HOMECOMING ON 11/11/’11 CENTERED AROUND “REDEFINING
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP” ATTRACTED THOUSANDS OF ALUMS WORLDWIDE.

5 CUT ABOVE THE REST

EVERY BRAND DOES THE BASICS WELL;
ICONS DO IT BETTER.

ICONIC BRANDS DO NOT THINK OF MOTIVATING CONSUMERS
TO BUY, BUT THINK OF TOUCHING PEOPLE’S LIVES.
THEY THINK OF CONSUMERS AS PEOPLE.

ROBERT WOODRUFF (CEO) HAD VOWED FROM THE BEGINNING OF
WWII THAT HE WOULD MAKE COCA-COLA AVAILABLE TO U.S.
SOLDIERS ABROAD—NO MATTER WHAT IT COST TO MANUFACTURE
THE DRINKS. TO HONOR ITS PLEDGE, COCA-COLA ASSEMBLED 64
PORTABLE BOTTLING PLANTS IN EUROPE TO DELIVER DRINKS TO GIS.

COCA-COLA PUTS A SPECIAL
HAPPINESS MACHINE IN THE MIDDLE
OF A COLLEGE CAMPUS IN 2010

CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT ON
SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS
REDEFINED BY COCA-COLA

36.6M LIKES ON
FACEBOOK AND
CLOSE TO 0.5M
FOLLOWERS ON
TWITTER

MOTӦRHEAD’S TRUE FANS ARE IN OTHER
BANDS LIKE, JOY DIVISION, THE CLASH,
SONIC YOUTH, MEGADETH, NIRVANA,
SLAYER, GUNS N’ ROSES, AND METALLICA

MOTӦRHEAD SERVES ITS FANS
ITS OWN LINE OF ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES IN THE TRUE
SPIRIT OF ROCK N’ ROLL

MOTӦRHEAD BOASTS OF THE
HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS
FANS IN CONCERT HALLS AND
SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS

..AND THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF FANS WITH TATTOOS

THUNDERBIRD PRESIDENT COMMUNICATES
TO STUDENTS AND ALUMS DIRECTLY

CONTINUOUS UNDERSTANDING OF THE MARKET
AND THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE, MAKES
FORMULATED BRAND STRATEGIES ROBUST.

WHAT?

THE NEXT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE IS MARKETING STRATEGY

MARKETING STRATEGY IS SEGMENTING AND TARGETING CONSUMERS

“WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY PREFER, THEY SAY A ‘DARK, RICH,
HARDY ROAST,’ BUT THEY ACTUALLY DRINK WEAK, MILKY COFFEE”

- MALCOLM GLADWELL

TWO EFFECTIVE WAYS TO UNDERSTAND CUSTOMERS

NETNOGRAPHY
SOCIAL LISTENING
ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS
PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
NON-PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
“A DAY IN THE LIFE OF” ANALYSIS

ALPHA LEVEL OF MIND RESEARCH CAN EXPLORE THE ROLE UNCONSCIOUS
PLAYS IN IMPRESSION FORMATION AND PREFERENCE MAKING

SCIENCES INVOLVED IN NEW UNDERSTANDING OF MIND

TOP-DOWN ARTIFICIAL
PSYCHOLOGY
INTELLIGENCE

ANALYTIC MIND SYNTHETIC

CULTURE & MIND
NEUROSCIENCE
BOTTOM-UP SCIENCES

Ideation

Comprehension SYMBOLIC LEVEL Expression

Perception SOCIOEMOTIONAL LEVEL Behavior

Stimulation Response
SENSORIMOTOR LEVEL

Biological

ECOSYSTEM SEGMENTATION TARGETING

SEGMENTATION TOOLS: SEGMENTATION APPROACHES:
CONJOINT ENGINES GEODEMOGRAPHIC
CLUSTER ANALYSIS PSYCHOGRAPHIC
REGRESSION TREES NEEDS-BASED UNDERSTAND NEEDS,

DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS FUTURE-RESULT WANTS, PERCEPTIONS,
ATTITUDE, LIFESTYLE,
BEHAVIOR, ETC. FROM
TARGET SEGMENT

BUSINESS STRATEGY DICTATES HOW TO
DIFFERENTIATE FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

WHY? ADVA
NTAGE

WELL
-PER
CEIV
ED
WHAT?

MARKETING STRATEGY DELINEATES HOW TO
DIFFERENTIATE FOR BETTER PERCEPTION

IS BRANDING A LEGALIZED
STRIPTEASE WHOLLY OWNED
BY BRANDING CZARS?

NEVER DISGUISE A POSE YOU ARE NOT.

WHEN BRANDS EXIST ON THE NEURONAL LEVEL IN THE MINDS OF
CONSUMERS AS AN ENGRAM, HOW CAN IT BE SOLEY OWNED BY CREATIVES?

ALRIGHT THEN, IS BRANDING ALL ABOUT
WHAT THE CONSUMERS SAY AND FEEL?

HOW COULD MAGIC BE PERCEIVED AS
MAGIC WITHOUT MAGIC BEING MADE?

BOTH
THE MADE AND THE PERCEIVED

IF IDENTITY IS WHAT A BRAND STANDS FOR
AND IMAGE IS HOW A BRAND IS PERCEIVED

BRANDING IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS
OF ALIGNING IMAGE AND IDENTITY.

“Besides, we constantly assess
consumer response to our brands in
order to evaluate consumer perception
and ﬁnd out what consumers believe
about our products. Consumers relate
particular brands with particular symbols
and promises that need to be met.
Similarly, Coca-Cola is related to a
particular level of customer satisfaction
that is determined by the collective
memory of our target audience.”

- COCA-COLA MARKETING

IMAGE-IDENTITY ALIGNMENT MODEL

Money Preference

Purchase

Loyalty Loop Behavior
Rational

Soma

Identity Media Emotion Memories
Marketer
formulation Brand Memories

Brand Consumer
Alignment

Feedback Loop
Brand
Image Post-rationalization Attitude

Research

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMOTION AND REASON IS THAT
EMOTION LEADS TO ACTION WHILE REASON LEADS TO CONCLUSION

Tattoos are not only ornaments...they are not only
emblems of nobility and symbols of rank in the
social hierarchy; they are also messages fraught with
spiritual and moral signiﬁcance...not only to imprint a
drawing onto the ﬂesh but also to stamp onto the mind
all the traditions and philosophy of the group.

- CLAUDE-LEVI STRAUSS

“Thunderbird stands for the liberation of single dogmatic creed and worldview. My
friend and I inked the Thunderbird logo that stands for this diversity of cultures, faiths,
races, and nationalities. Our tattoos signal the conﬂuence of differences of our mind-
altering MBA journey. After graduation my friend died in an accident. Today, my
Thunderbird tattoo also stands for my friendship and the relationships I cherish.”

- PEDRO FERNANDEZ DEL VALLE

“Lemmy is
f###ing Jesus
Christ; Motörhead
is my life.”

“I work as a graphic designer, and work on my MacBook Pro everyday.
My Mac is an extension of me and my work for the past 14 years now.
To be honest, I don’t know why I feel this way. Perhaps it is because
Macs readily respond to your needs. I love Mac. I strongly identify
myself with Apple. If I were to choose another vocation, I will want to
work in an Apple store selling iPods, iPhones, and iMacs.”

“If you shut me off on an
island for a week, I would
not need anything that
people usually ask for. I will
need my Coke. Coke brings
the past, present, and future
together with the mysterious
power of its taste.”

LIFE IS SHORT.
BUILD ROBUST BRANDS.
11^N CAN HELP.

Images from http://images.google.com
Ben Heine, Lady Gaga
Billy G., Apple
Yoko Ono, Thunderbird
Jeremiah Thompson (“Alessandra Making a Perfect Mirror”), Image-Identity
Mary Beth (Facets of Perception”),
Chris Hickman (“Branded Baby”), What is Branding?
René Magritte (“The False Mirror”), Branding Story
Menniti Giovanni (“I Love New York”), Brand: Place
Kripa Gandhi (“Makdrap Rent-A-Costume”), Never disguise a Pose
Business Week, Qualitative Research
Dobiragi (“Everywhere Questions”), What can be Branded?
www.sodahead.com, Branding in the Real World

For further reading:
Alina Wheeler (2003), “Designing Brand Identity,” Wiley
Kevin Lane Keller (1993), “Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity,” Prentice Hall: New Jersey
Michael Porter (1996), “What is Strategy?,” Harvard Business Review
Erik du Plessis (2005), “The Advertised Mind,” Millward-Brown
Doug Holt (2003), “What Becomes an Icon Most,” Harvard Business Review
Bernd Schmitt (2009), “The Concept of Brand Experience,” Journal of Brand Management

Thanks to the PR dept. of Chanel, Apple, Coca-Cola, Thunderbird, and Harley Davidson to use their logo and identity elements
Thanks to Carmen Electra and Motörhead for permission to use their pictures
Thanks to all my MBA students at MICA, SP Jain Center of Management, and Great Lakes Institute of Management

WHAT IS BRANDING?

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