Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits

“hyperlinked” might be a better way to describe it, because the mind goes from one thing to another.

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.

some parts of what the organization did were more powerful and important, more effective and influential than the advertising it did.

When we embrace a new experience, object, or concept, we bring ourselves into the ambit of the new, and we can begin to understand what the new is.

I think this is when, for me, branding became about recognition and attachment. Now, I think that brands are a reflection of one’s personal compass.

So, it’s not about being famous for “nothing”—it’s about being famous for being who you are.

I think that finding out how consumers act and react and what they do and feel when they see things is useful. I think that trying to predict the future proves valueless—again and again and again.

Your outside self projects something to the world and also reflects back into you. The image of you in specific attire helps you imagine yourself as the person you would like to be.

We all have a portfolio of brands we live with. We have a fine-tuned control over how these brands enter our life, convey their messages to us, and sell to us.

We were presented with a very specific business challenge: to introduce a new line of products that would move the brand beyond soap into the beauty business—by including items like skin care products and moisturizers. But when a brand starts expanding into other categories, it needs a proposition people will pay attention to.