The brand checklist

Culture refers to the emerging social, cultural and political values; it also refers to definition of the core social terms (e.g. influence, community, taste, equality, aspiration); mood, attention and vocabulary. E.g. early on, Glossier mastered the language of modern culture: BFF, intimate, personal, direct. The brand behavior reflected how moder... See more

Consumer refers to how well a company can define and understand who its consumer is and the context they make decisions; what they pay attention to and what they spend money on; what they value and expect from the world and each other. E.g. Looking at taste communities is here more important than zooming in on the individual.

Company refers to the 1+1=3 of a company’s team, culture, processes, organization and workplace dynamic. It looks into the social and cultural capital of its founders and the leadership team, the size and composition of their network, and alignment between internal and external cultures. It answers questions of the leadership vision and values. E.g... See more

Category refers to the existing playbook of brand growth in a specific vertical and explores how to capitalize on its strengths and limitations. E.g. IKEA capitalized on the limitation of the furniture industry by: a) challenging the assumption that furniture needs to be put together when delivered and b) defining itself as the source of “well desi... See more