1. “Like human beings,
all brands are born equal.
The trick is to prove
one isn’t. Branding is the
art and science of
identifying and fulfilling
human physical
and emotional needs by
capturing attention,
imagination and emotion
long enough to make
money from it.”
– Idris Mootee
1 2

2. Copyright © 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009
Idris Mootee
All rights reserved. Published by
Idea Couture Inc. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photo-
copying, scanning, or otherwise, except as
permitted under Section 107, 108 of the
1976 United States Copyright Act, without
either the prior written permission of
the Publisher. Request to the Publisher
for permission should be addressed
to the Permission Department at
permission@ideacouture.com.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty:
While the publisher and author have
used their best efforts in preparing this
book, they make no representations
or warranties with respect to the accuracy
or completeness of the contents of this
book and specifically disclaim any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness
for a particular purpose. The advice and
strategies contained herein may not
be suitable for your situation. You should
consult with a professional where
appropriate. Neither the publisher nor
author shall be liable for any loss of
profit or any commercial damages, including
but not limited to special, incidental,
consequential, or other damages.
A number of brand names and trademarks
are mentioned and used in this book
are protected under copyright laws and
international treaty provisions. All
trademarks, services marks, trade names,
logos and icons are proprietary to their
respective owner. Their inclusion in this
book is for the purpose of criticism
and illustration only.
60-Minute Brand Strategist –
Limited Edition
Book and cover design:
Sali Tabacchi
3 1

3. Contents:
Introduction 4
All About Brands 7
Branding in a Postmodern Culture 39
Strategic Perspectives of Branding 49
Managing Brand Meaning 79
Brand Leadership 119
Luxury Brand Marketing 133
2 3

4. IntroductIon
This book is about only one thing: brands,
branding and the only sustainable form of
leadership in an economy ruled by ideas –
brand innovation and leadership.
Its been 8 years since 60-minute Brand
Strategist was first published as a book.
Adapted from slides I used in my Advanced
Branding Seminar, the first edition was
translated and published in several languages,
including Japanese, Chinese and German.
Dr. Morgan Gerard collaborates with me to
develop this limited edition, updated
and abridged version by popular demand.
We decided to select a few of the book’s
chapters that deliver the essence of the
concepts. These concepts and techniques
are used by the world’s most successful
and valuable brands. But you’ll rarely, if ever,
read much about these concepts in
business magazines. Why? Simply put,
they’re trade secrets. Well-wielded
branding tools and techniques are powerful,
competitive weapons used to win the
hearts and minds of customers. Time and
again, they help defeat the competition.
Consider what follows a battle plan designed
to inspire, act as a reminder, function as
a tool kit and be drawn upon as a reference
that should sit on every marketing and
brand executive’s desk.
Idris Mootee, CEO
Idea Couture Inc.
4 5

5. all about
brands
6 7

6. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
What Is a brand?
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
In a world where brands rule, products YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
are no longer bundles of functional
characteristics but rather means to provide
and enhance customer experiences.
Thanks to the internet and wireless tech- I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
nologies, information is so abundant
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
that consumers are overloaded. They have
more information than they can digest,
use, need or even want.
Product proliferation creates so many
I I I I I I I I I I I I
choices that it diminishes our ability to LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
differentiate or choose what we truly value. YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
Brands help us choose. They are invaluable
tools that help us break through clutter to
make choices based on our experience of
I I I I I I I I I I I I
and satisfaction with products or services.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
8 9
I I I I I I I I I I I I
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

7. VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I YOU I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU ME YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
10 11
I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

8. VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
There will be a
“
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
time using a
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
logo will be the
“In technocratic and colorless
worst thing
I I I I I I I I I
times, brands bring warmth,
YOU
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
LOVE ME, familiarity and trust.”
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
TOO
in the world.”
– Peter Brabeck, Nestle
I I I I I I I I I I I I
– Bill Bernbach,
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
Founder DDB
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
We’re a long long way from that day.
The truth is that people like brands. They
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE not only simplify choices and guarantee
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
quality, but they also add fun and interest,
provide aspirations and dreams. Some
people love them like children, which might
explain why I personally know of a 4-year
I I I I I I I I I I I I
old boy named Nike, an 8-year old named
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
Ferrari and a 12-year old girl named Hermès.
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
LOGO
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
OU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU
12 13
I I I I I I I I I I I I
VE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

9. a brand Is not… a brand Is…
A TRADE MARk POINT OF VIEW
(These are legal properties.) Branding is a strategic point of view, not
a select set of marketing activities.
A MISSION STATEMENT
(This is a reminder.) CUSTOMER VALUE
Branding is central to creating customer
A LOGO OR SLOGAN value, not just sound bites and images.
(These are your signatures.)
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
A PRODUCT OR SERVICE Branding is a key tool for creating and
(These are just the tangibles.) sustaining competitive advantages.
ADVERTISING ENGINEERED
(They deliver your messages.) Brand strategies must be “engineered” into
the strategic planning process.
ALIVE
Brands get their identity from meanings.
Products and services are the blood
of a brand. Your organizational culture and
standards for action are the heartbeat.
LOGIC AND EMOTION
Branding is part science and part art.
ITEM WORkING ITEM WORkING
IN ISOLATION IN ISOLATION
A BRAND
IS MORE THAN
THE SUM
OF ITS PARTS.
ITEM WORkING ITEM WORkING
IN ISOLATION IN ISOLATION
14 15

10. BRANDS
HAVE ALMOST
BECOME
IDEOLOGIES.
16 17

11. “The art of marketing
is the art of brand
building. If you are not
a brand, you are a
commodity. Then price
is everything and
the low-cost producer
is the only winner.”
– Philip kotler,
kellogg
18 19

12. To plan for one year,
What Is a brand?
grow sales.
“A brand is the ‘personification of a product,
service, or even entire company.’
Like any person, a brand has a physical
To plan for three years,
‘body’: in P&G’s case, the products and/or
services it provides. Also, like a person, a
brand has a name, a personality, character
grow channel.
and a reputation.
Like a person, you can respect, like
and even love a brand. You can think of it
To plan for decades,
as a deep personal friend, or merely an
acquaintance. You can view it as dependable
grow a brand.
or undependable; principled or
opportunistic; caring or capricious. Just as
you like to be around certain people and
not others, so also do you like to be with
certain brands and not others.
Also, like a person, a brand must mature
and change its product over time. But
its character, and core beliefs shouldn’t
change. Neither should its fundamental
personality and outlook on life.
People have character…so do brands.
A person's character flows from his/her
integrity: the ability to deliver under pressure,
the willingness to do what is right rather
than what is expedient. You judge a person’s
character by his/her past performance
and the way he/she thinks and acts in both
good times, and especially bad.
The same are true of brands.”
– Robert Blanchard,
former P&G executive
BRAND
CHANNEL
SALES
VALUE
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
YEARS
20 21

13. 1. 2. the customer
satIsfactIon
What is the What is our core treadmIll
deep need that competence? Daniel kahneman of Princeton describes
the Customer Satisfaction Treadmill.
we satisfy? What are we
The more we make, the more we spend,
the more we want. The faster we get it,
the faster we want it. The more convenient
What is our really good at? it becomes, the more we realize just
how convenient it could be. The more
raison d’être? our unreasonable demands are met,
the more unreasonable they become.
METAPHYSICAL NEEDS
EXPERIENTAL NEEDS
SYMBOLIC NEEDS
FUNCTIONAL NEEDS
22 23

14. brand In a world predisposed to sameness, there
are few things in life more satisfying than
taxonomIes
building brands that disrupt predisposition.
Brands move market share. Brands move
advertising award judges. Brands move
culture. Some do all.
Brand has meaning beyond functionality
that exists in people's minds. Part art,
part science, brand is the difference between
a bottle of soda and a bottle of Coke, a
computer and an iMac, a cup of coffee and
a cup of Starbucks, a car and a Mercedes,
a designer’s hand bag and a Hermès Birkin.
Brand is the intangible yet visceral impact
of a person's subjective experience with the
product, the personal memories and cultural
associations that orbit around it. Brands
are also about messages – strong, exciting,
distinct, authentic messages that tell
people who you are, what you think and
why you do what you do.
BRANDS THAT
FOCUS ON THEIR MEANINGS
AND VALUES
RATHER THAN FUNCTIONS.
BRANDS THAT
BRANDS THAT
HAVE ALMOST BECOME
ARE TIGHTLY IDENTIFIED
PRODUCT
PRODUCT-
WITH THE PRODUCT
INDEPENDENT
OR RANGE OF PRODUCTS
BRANDS THAT FOCUS
LARGELY ON
THEIR CORE FUNCTIONS
AND PURPOSES
24 25

15. too much the most common
advertIsIng WIth too Issues WIth brandIng
lIttle meanIng?
Cannot justify
the cost for brand
re-positioning.
Where’s the ROI? Management does
CUSTOMER VALUE not understand
why we need to have
BRAND MEANING a brand strategy.
BRAND ADVERTISING
CUSTOMER VALUE
BRAND MEANING
BRAND ADVERTISING
Management thinks
branding is just
another logo with a Sales and marketing
new tag line. aren’t reading the
same book, let alone
the same page.
Brand vision and
company reality do
not match.
26 27

16. Why brands are In What Is a brand?
trouble?
Don’t make the mistake of letting
brand image take over and become brand
identity. It’s only part of the equation,
not the answer.
BRANDS ARE BEING BRANDS STRUGGLE
MASS-PRODUCED TO FIND THEIR
IN BRAND FACTORIES OWN IDENTITIES
There’s a movement of Too many me-too
conservatism in brands and too
brand investment. Many much me-too advertising.
have gone from inspirational Many brands
and daring to cautionary have lost their souls.
CORPORATE INTERNAL
and risk averse.
STRATEGY BRANDING
Everyone is looking for
a save formula.
brand strategy
BRAND
IMAGE BRAND CUSTOMER
IDENTITY ENGAGEMENT
BRANDS HAVE LOST BRANDS ARE WORN
THEIR MYSTIqUE FROM OVERUSE
Consumers understand As brand manuals gets
how marketing works thicker and heavier,
and they are brand savvy. you know you’re in trouble.
BRAND
Be careful not to Instructional menus ATTRIBUTES
over-market a brand. replace imagination.
BRAND
ASSOCIATIONS
28 29

17. What is a