Amen, Ze Frank

Another great Ze Frank point:

"Brands provide context"

That's the reason why brands continue to win.  They create context.  They have resonance.  They connect with consumers in a meaningful way (at least the best ones do).

Sure, some brands create a very narrow context ("I am a cheese") and some pitch a big tent (Nike: Be your best self).  But either way, we select brands because we either appreciate what they stand for or we choose to envision ourselves in them.

A favorite quote (sometimes attributed to Tom Peters, sometimes to Faith Popcorn):  Women don't buy brands, they join them.

When we're operating in the interwebs where we there is a myriad of choice for every single thing we want to do, brands are the magnets that draw us in.   Don't neglect your brand.

Comments

[Ariel]

Brands do not provide context. Brands are what they are thanks to the context they are surrounded by. Remember the semiotic principles referent/content or signifier/signified. Saussure's triangle? the sign (brand) has "sign vehicle/sense/referent". The sense is the context that helps give meaning to the symbol (brand). Brands are made what they are thanks to it's context - remember another branding principle: "brand space management." This helps you manage the contextualization of your brand to increase the positive attributes associated with it and enhance it's perceived value, therefore adding context (value). Brand equity!