On branding - Lovemarks

This is not free publicity, I just love the book... read on.

Lovemarks transcend brands. They deliver beyond your expectations of great performance. Like great brands, they sit on top of high levels of respect - but there the similarities end.

Lovemarks reach your heart as well as your mind, creating an intimate, emotional connection that you just can’t live without. Ever.

Take a brand away and people will find a replacement. Take a Lovemark away and people will protest its absence. Lovemarks are a relationship, not a mere transaction. You don’t just buy Lovemarks, you embrace them passionately. That’s why you never want to let go.

Do you want more? Go get the book by Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi or visit lovemarks.com

Starting a blog

Here a few paragraphs from a good article I came across on Advertising Age a while ago. Enjoy it!

A brand is a promised benefit delivered. Authority-driven or assurance-driven is not the question. The question -- and answer -- is protecting your place in the consumer's mind by keeping your promise.

Anyone and everyone responsible for maintaining a corporate brand must remember that consumers are fickle. Loyalty must be earned. And trust is mercurial. Examine your brand. Think about what it represents to the customer, and to your own employees. Then manage it accordingly.

Whether a brand represents authority or assurance, your task is to keep its promise through appropriate behavior in every sense of the word. If you do, chances are consumers might just keep the faith. And you'll be able to navigate your corporate brand through whatever conditions come your way.