Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits

A brand, says Daniel, is a promise exchanged, and brands derive their appeal from two key factors: their utility—whether or not they fulfill their function or purpose—and their significance—the range of affiliations that a brand generates between a person and an object,

I felt that brand management was at the intersection of creativity, strategic thinking, analytical thinking, and design thinking.

First and foremost, I think it’s the responsibility of a leader to have a sense of a vision. But it’s also important to build that vision with your colleagues.

There is a certain amount of clutching to the present and familiar that’s going on right now.

I think when we create brands, we’re engaged in a process of “manufacturing” and “managing” meaning.

designers create and interpret culture.

we are going to have an accretion of provenance branding—of the brand as a manifestation of place and of “where I come from.” The place is going to become very, very important.

If you are going to create something that is truly a breakthrough, you have to rely on your intuition and your judgment.

In order to be truly imaginative, you must possess an unusual level of self-confidence and creativity.