16. IF BRANDS HOLD
SUCH
FASCINATION,
ONE OF THE
PRIMARY
REASON IS THE
INABILITY TO
DEFINE IT.
17. A BRAND
IS A TERM
NAME, SIGN,
CH ANEL
LOGO, TRADEMARK
EX
THAT TOUCHES US IN A PE
CT
AT
IO
N
SPECIAL WAY. IT RELIES ON
BR
AND
TANGIBLE VALUES: PRODUCT,
PRICE, SERVICE, PEOPLE, PR
OM
ISE
MARKETING, AND SO ON.
IT ALSO RELIES ON PROMISES,
ASSOCIATIONS, THE STORY IT TELLS
NONE OF WHICH CAN BE COMPARED
WITH ANY OTHER.
18. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, BRAND IS A SUM OF MANY THINGS. IT IS A
SUCCESSFUL BLEND, A MAGIC POTION, THAT APPEALS TO THE CONSUMER.
40. I DIVIDE THE ENTIRE CLASS INTO EXCLUSIVE GROUPS .
41. 1
I SHOW EVERY GROUP THE SAME ROCK. I TELL GROUP #1
THAT I PICKED THE ROCK ON CAMPUS SOMEWHERE. I ASK,
“IF YOU WERE TO BUY, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY?”
42. I PUT THE ROCK INTO A SHINY BOX. I TELL
GROUP #2 THAT THIS IS A ROCK FROM THE
CARVING OF MOUNT RUSHMORE.
2
43. 3
I TALK ABOUT THE CELEBRATION OF
FREEDOM OVER COMMUNIST TYRANNY
TO ANOTHER GROUP OF MBA STUDENTS
TELLING THEM IT WAS THE ROCK FROM
1989 FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL.
44. ..ABOUT THE ROCK THAT APOLLO
11 ASTRONAUTS BROUGHT, AND
THE GIANT LEAP OF MANKIND
4
62. MAR
STRATEGY CIRCLE
KETI
STRA NG
TEGY
BRAN
STRA D
TEGY
BUSI
NESS
STRA
TEGY
FU
WH
ND
Y
A
?
HO M
EN
?W
TA
L EM
WH
OT
I
AT?
ON
AL
RA
TI
ON
AL
63. Demographic
Technical
Economic
Intermediaries Physical
Environment
M
ar
ke
tR
es
e ar
c
Product
h
Market Planning
Collaborators
Promotion
Suppliers
Place
User
Price
P.
T.
S.
Political Competitors
Social
Legal
Cultural
Information
ALL ORGANIZATIONS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
73. YOU CAN BUILD INTRIGUE ONLY IF YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
74. HOW?
WHAT?
THE WHY CIRCLE PITIABLY REMAINS FUZZY CORE IF ONE
STARTS AND ENDS WITH THE WHAT AND HOW CIRCLES.
75. BUSINESS STRATEGY IS FORMED ON THE ELEMENTAL
PHILOSOPHICAL OUTLOOK OF THE ORGANIZATION.
VALUE GOAL(S) PURPOSE COMPETENCY
Timeless and Audacious The reason What the
passionately- goal(s) to for being organization
held guiding provide (existence) is good at
principles aspiration doing
and
challenge
82. BRANDING IS NOT ABOUT BUILDING A TEMPLE;
IT’S ABOUT CREATING A RELIGION – A BELIEF SYSTEM.
83. FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE OF
BRANDING ORGANIZATIONS,
PRODUCTS/SERVICES, PEOPLE, AND
MOVEMENTS, I’VE GATHERED A SET OF
RECURRING MANTRA THAT
SUCCESSFUL BRANDING PROCESS
CONSISTS OF. IT HAS NOTHING REALLY
TO DO WITH TRADITIONAL MARKETING
TOOLS OR TECHNIQUES*.
*We are not talking about the ‘what’ circle yet.
84. INSTEAD OF SEEKING CONSTITUENTS OF
SPECIFICITY OF BRANDING PROCESS, I
SOUGHT DIFFERENCES DEVELOPED AMONG
ICONIC BRANDS TO LIST A FEW TENETS.
85. 1 BRAND BELIEF
BRAND STRATEGY IS SEDUCING
CONSUMERS WITHOUT LOSING FOCUS
OF THE CORPORATE POINT OF VIEW.
86. IN 1994, STEVE JOBS ARTICULATED APPLE’S
PHILOSOPHY IN AN INTERVIEW FOR PBS..
87. STEVEN P. JOBS “When you grow up you tend to get told the world is
the way it is and your life is just to live your life
inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls.
Thatʼs a very limited life. Life can be much broader
once you discover one simple fact, and that is -
everything around you that you call life, was made
up by people who were no smarter than you. And
you can change life, you can influence it, you can
build your own things that other people can use.
The minute that you understand that you can poke
life and actually something will, you know if you
push in, something will pop out the other side, you
begin to change it, you begin to mold it, improve it,
and make your mark upon it.”
88. WHEN YOU BELIEVE IN AN
IDEOLOGY, THAT BELIEF
THEN ATTRACTS
CUSTOMERS WHO ALSO
BELIEVE IN THAT IDEOLOGY.
90. APPLE DESIGNED COMPUTER KIT AND
CHANGED HOME PC MARKET
APPLE LISA COMMERCIALIZED GUI IN 1983
iTUNES STORE CHANGED THE MUSIC BUSINESS
IN DIGITAL ERA
iPHONE WORKED SIMILAR MAGIC ON MOBILE
COMPUTING AND COMMUNICATIONS WORLD
IN 2011, APPLE BECAME THE MOST VALUABLE
COMPANY IN THE WORLD
91. 2 BRAND GENESIS
CONSUMERS INTERNALIZE
BRANDS WHEN THEY KNOW HOW
THE BRAND WAS CREATED
92. ACROSS CULTURES, PEOPLE ALWAYS
INQUIRE, “WHERE ARE YOU FROM?”
WHEN THEY GREET OR MEET SOMEONE
NEW. THEY WANT TO KNOW YOUR STORY.
93. EVERY AMERICAN KNOWS JOHN PEMBERTON, AN ATLANTA
PHARMACIST, STIRRED UP A FRAGRANT, CARAMEL-
COLORED LIQUID TO SELL FOR ¢5 AT JACOB’S IN 1886.
94. BRAND VALUED AT $70.5B
OPERATIONAL REACH IN 200 COUNTRIES
1.7B SERVINGS PER DAY
AFTER ‘OK,’ COKE IS THE MOST USED WORD
95. Lemmy Kilmister is credited today
as the inventor of punk and heavy
metal music in the legendary loud
rock band, Motörhead, but his
story is very poignant and popular
with his many fans and musicians.
96. On Christmas eve 1945 in Stoke-
on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, Ian
“Lemmy” Kilmister was born. His
father left him/home when he was 3
months old. The calamitous
experiences of fatherless
childhood, frustrated adolescence,
and deep poverty shaped his
formative years. As 16-y/o, he
carried music equipment of other
musicians (Jimi Hendrix) hoping to
play in their band one day. He
played bass guitar with Jimi
Hendrix in the 60s, composed,
played, and sang in two albums
with Sam Gopal Band, and was part
of 70s space-rock band, Hawkwind.
97. “Lemmy hung out with musicians, and
would continually carry their equipment
where ever they went until they let him
play. He’s come up the hard way.”
NEVILLE CHESTERS
ROAD CREW MANAGER, JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
98. THUNDERBIRD INVENTED INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT
Thunderbird was originally a military air force
training facility for US, Chinese, and British pilots
for WWII under US Army Lieutenant General
Barton Kyle Yount. After ending his military service
at the end of WWII, General Yount founded and
served as President of the American Institute for
Foreign Trade, known today as Thunderbird, School
of Global Management. He believed that borders
frequented by trade seldom needed soldiers.
BARTON K. YOUNT
99. THUNDERBIRD SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT (MBA BRAND)
RANKED NO. 1 FOR INTERNATIONAL MBA FOR A
RECORD 15 YEARS BY WALL STREET JOURNAL,
US NEWS, BUSINESS WEEK, AND FINANCIAL TIMES
100. “I didnʼt have to go to
Thunderbirdʼs USA campus to
meet current MBAs and talk with
faculty to evaluate and decide if I
wanted to attend Thunderbird
MBA. I wrote my GMAT only to
cinch my admission there. Once I
got to campus, I knew I was going
to ink the eagle logo somewhere
on my body. Today, it serves as a
monogram of how I realized my
dream to be a part of the
Thunderbird mystique.”
(IDENTITY CONCEALED)
101. 3 BRAND PERSONALITY
REMARKABLE PERSONALITY
COMMUNICATES
AT A PREARTICULATE LEVEL
STRIKING AN EMOTIONAL
CHORD WITH CONSUMERS
102. COMPELLING STORIES AND RESONANT PLOTS
THROUGH MEMORABLE BRAND PERSONA
HELPS CONSTRUCT POWERFUL MYTHS WHICH
CONSUMERS COME TO PERCEIVE AS EMBODIED
IN PRODUCT OR SERVICE.
104. EVEN WITH A SHARD OF BROKEN BOTTLE,
A PERSON COULD TELL IT WAS COCA-COLA
105. EQUALLY FAMOUS COCA-COLA BOTTLE,
CALLED THE CONTOUR BOTTLE OR “HOBBLE
SKIRT” IS A BOTTLE WHICH A PERSON COULD
RECOGNIZE EVEN IF THEY FELT IT IN THE DARK.
106. FOR 125 YEARS THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE
LOGOTYPE IN THE WORLD IS COCA-COLA
109. THE STARS AND STRIPES IS THE MOST
RECOGNIZABLE OUT OF 200+ FLAGS IN THE WORLD.
110. USA ICONS INHABIT VALUABLE MENTAL REAL ESTATE THAT
IS INSTANTLY AND INDELIBLY ATTACHED TO IDEOLOGIES:
EXCEPTIONALISM, DEMOCRACY, FREE SPEECH, AND LIBERTY.
115. MOTӦRHEAD CREATED AN INDELIBLE IDENTITY THAT HAS BEEN THE
STANDARD FOR BANDS IN MANY SUB-GENRES OF LOUD ROCK
AND AN INSPIRATION FOR ENDLESS ALLUSION, IMAGERY, AND ENERGY.
119. THE LEATHER, BOOTS, COWBOY HAT, AND THE WHOLE BIKER
PERSONA WAS DEVISED TO CHAMPION PUNK AND METAL
120. THE BEST IDENTITIES ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE
WHEN THEY HELP ADVANCE THE BRAND.
Coherence
Authority Sustainability
Leadership Differentiation Value
Authenticity Commitment
Relevance
121. CHOICE OF BRAND ELEMENTS
MEANINGFULNESS: MEMORABILITY: ADAPTABILITY:
credibility, fun, easily recognized flexible enough to
interesting and recalled be updated
Running Back Quarterback
PROTECTABILITTY: Linebacker
legally secure and
competitively well-
guarded
Line of Defense
TRANSFERABILITY: mobile
within categories and across
geographies and cultures
Wide Receiver
122. THE BRAND ELEMENTS OF LOVEMARKS DO NOT EXIST
AS IDENTITIES. THEY BESTOW A PERSONALITY.
124. BRAND PERSONALITY IS THE
PRIMORDIAL CREATIVE AND
PERFORMATIVE FORCE CRITICAL
TO BRAND RECALL AND SUCCESS.
125. 4 TOUCHPOINT EXPERIENCES
MEANINGFUL POINTS OF
CONTACT WITH ICONIC BRANDS
ARE ENRICHING EXPERIENCES
THAT EXCITE AND INTRIGUE
126. TOUCHPOINT WHEEL
Advertising
Loyalty Direct mail
programs or samples
Pre-purchase Coupons
Newsletters PRE-PURCHASE
and
incentives Each touchpoint is
an opportunity to
Post-
POST-PURCHASE
strengthen brand
Customer purchase Deals and
experiences, and
service promotions
to communicate
brand belief and
Product and brand essence.
PURCHASE
package Packaging
performance Purchase
Sales person PoP displays
Store and
shelf
placement
127. APPLE THREW A HAMMER IN 1984 TO DEFINE
THE APPLE BRAND MEANING AND RELEVANCE
132. Holidays
Sports
American COCA-COLA IS
OFTEN ASSOCIATED
Refreshing
Family
get-together Tradition WITH THE MAGIC
OF CHRISTMAS,
Original
HAPPINESS – ALL
POSITIVE MENTAL
Polar Bears
“Real” ASSOCIATIONS
Invigorating Magic of
Christmas
Happy/pleasure
Rejoice
133.
134.
135. “Americans have a lifetime
love affair with Coca-Cola.
Americans took the taste
test, but do not care that
Pepsi-Cola tastes better.
Coca-Cola is a love mark.”
- KEVIN ROBERTS
136. PEPSI’S JOY OF COLA
ENDORSEMENT STRATEGY
FEATURED BRITNEY SPEARS FOR
MULTI MILLION-DOLLAR CAMPAIGN
137. SHE WAS IN THE MEDIA’S
LIMELIGHT FOR MYRIAD PERSONAL
PROBLEMS; BRITNEY WAS FOUND
DRINKING COKE IN THE IMAGES
SHOWN ON NEWS CHANNELS.
138. It does not matter that Thunderbird is a top
tier business school; there are twenty-five
other US b-schools that boast for its top
business programs. It does not matter that
Thunderbird is continuously ranked No. 1
for International Management by Wall
Street Journal, Business Week, or US
News; there are other business
schools in the US that are
renowned for other focus areas
in an MBA program. It does not
matter that Thunderbird is a private
school, for there are at least a dozen
more from Harvard to Dartmouth to
Stanford that are exclusive private
schools as well. But, what does matter
is Thunderbird is a military b-school. The
entire T-Bird community wouldn't think for a
moment to give their blood to their brethren in
such military camaraderie.
139. AT THE ENTRANCE, THERE STANDS A WALL ON WHICH THE WORD
'WELCOME' IS ENGRAVED IN ABOUT THIRTY LANGUAGES OF THE
WORLD, INSTILLING THE BRAND ESSENCE OF THUNDERBIRD.
140. THE FLAG-CARRYING TRADITION
IS A SOLEMN PROCEEDING TO
REINFORCE THAT THUNDERBIRD
STANDS FOR MULTITUDES:
DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT
BELIEFS, DIFFERENT YEARNINGS,
DIFFERENT HOPES, DIFFERENT
DREAMS THAT PERMEATE
THROUGH US BOTH AS A MELTING
POT AND A COLORFUL MOSAIC.
141. THE THUNDERBIRD OATH OF HONOR WAS THE FIRST MBA OATH EVER;
MOST BUSINESS SCHOOLS NOW FOLLOW THE STUDENT-LED PLEDGE.
142. THE TOWER IS AT THE HEART OF THE THUNDERBIRD CAMPUS AND ITS PAST
IS INTEGRAL TO THUNDERBIRD’S ORIGINAL “GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.”
TOWER HOMECOMING ON 11/11/’11 CENTERED AROUND “REDEFINING
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP” ATTRACTED THOUSANDS OF ALUMS WORLDWIDE.
143. 5 CUT ABOVE THE REST
EVERY BRAND DOES THE BASICS WELL;
ICONS DO IT BETTER.
144. ICONIC BRANDS DO NOT THINK OF MOTIVATING CONSUMERS
TO BUY, BUT THINK OF TOUCHING PEOPLE’S LIVES.
THEY THINK OF CONSUMERS AS PEOPLE.
145. ROBERT WOODRUFF (CEO) HAD VOWED FROM THE BEGINNING OF
WWII THAT HE WOULD MAKE COCA-COLA AVAILABLE TO U.S.
SOLDIERS ABROAD—NO MATTER WHAT IT COST TO MANUFACTURE
THE DRINKS. TO HONOR ITS PLEDGE, COCA-COLA ASSEMBLED 64
PORTABLE BOTTLING PLANTS IN EUROPE TO DELIVER DRINKS TO GIS.
146. COCA-COLA PUTS A SPECIAL
HAPPINESS MACHINE IN THE MIDDLE
OF A COLLEGE CAMPUS IN 2010
147.
148. CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT ON
SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS
REDEFINED BY COCA-COLA
36.6M LIKES ON
FACEBOOK AND
CLOSE TO 0.5M
FOLLOWERS ON
TWITTER
149. MOTӦRHEAD’S TRUE FANS ARE IN OTHER
BANDS LIKE, JOY DIVISION, THE CLASH,
SONIC YOUTH, MEGADETH, NIRVANA,
SLAYER, GUNS N’ ROSES, AND METALLICA
150. MOTӦRHEAD SERVES ITS FANS
ITS OWN LINE OF ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES IN THE TRUE
SPIRIT OF ROCK N’ ROLL
151. MOTӦRHEAD BOASTS OF THE
HIGHEST ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS
FANS IN CONCERT HALLS AND
SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS
162. ALPHA LEVEL OF MIND RESEARCH CAN EXPLORE THE ROLE UNCONSCIOUS
PLAYS IN IMPRESSION FORMATION AND PREFERENCE MAKING
163. SCIENCES INVOLVED IN NEW UNDERSTANDING OF MIND
TOP-DOWN ARTIFICIAL
PSYCHOLOGY
INTELLIGENCE
ANALYTIC MIND SYNTHETIC
CULTURE & MIND
NEUROSCIENCE
BOTTOM-UP SCIENCES
166. BUSINESS STRATEGY DICTATES HOW TO
DIFFERENTIATE FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
WHY? ADVA
NTAGE
WELL
-PER
CEIV
ED
WHAT?
MARKETING STRATEGY DELINEATES HOW TO
DIFFERENTIATE FOR BETTER PERCEPTION
167. IS BRANDING A LEGALIZED
STRIPTEASE WHOLLY OWNED
BY BRANDING CZARS?
175. IF IDENTITY IS WHAT A BRAND STANDS FOR
AND IMAGE IS HOW A BRAND IS PERCEIVED
176. BRANDING IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS
OF ALIGNING IMAGE AND IDENTITY.
177. “Besides, we constantly assess
consumer response to our brands in
order to evaluate consumer perception
and find out what consumers believe
about our products. Consumers relate
particular brands with particular symbols
and promises that need to be met.
Similarly, Coca-Cola is related to a
particular level of customer satisfaction
that is determined by the collective
memory of our target audience.”
- COCA-COLA MARKETING
178. IMAGE-IDENTITY ALIGNMENT MODEL
Money Preference
Purchase
Loyalty Loop Behavior
Rational
Soma
Identity Media Emotion Memories
Marketer
formulation Brand Memories
Brand Consumer
Alignment
Feedback Loop
Brand
Image Post-rationalization Attitude
Research
179. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMOTION AND REASON IS THAT
EMOTION LEADS TO ACTION WHILE REASON LEADS TO CONCLUSION
180. Tattoos are not only ornaments...they are not only
emblems of nobility and symbols of rank in the
social hierarchy; they are also messages fraught with
spiritual and moral significance...not only to imprint a
drawing onto the flesh but also to stamp onto the mind
all the traditions and philosophy of the group.
- CLAUDE-LEVI STRAUSS
181. “Thunderbird stands for the liberation of single dogmatic creed and worldview. My
friend and I inked the Thunderbird logo that stands for this diversity of cultures, faiths,
races, and nationalities. Our tattoos signal the confluence of differences of our mind-
altering MBA journey. After graduation my friend died in an accident. Today, my
Thunderbird tattoo also stands for my friendship and the relationships I cherish.”
- PEDRO FERNANDEZ DEL VALLE
183. “I work as a graphic designer, and work on my MacBook Pro everyday.
My Mac is an extension of me and my work for the past 14 years now.
To be honest, I don’t know why I feel this way. Perhaps it is because
Macs readily respond to your needs. I love Mac. I strongly identify
myself with Apple. If I were to choose another vocation, I will want to
work in an Apple store selling iPods, iPhones, and iMacs.”
(IDENTITY CONCEALED)
184. “If you shut me off on an
island for a week, I would
not need anything that
people usually ask for. I will
need my Coke. Coke brings
the past, present, and future
together with the mysterious
power of its taste.”
(IDENTITY CONCEALED)
187. Images from http://images.google.com
Ben Heine, Lady Gaga
Billy G., Apple
Yoko Ono, Thunderbird
Jeremiah Thompson (“Alessandra Making a Perfect Mirror”), Image-Identity
Mary Beth (Facets of Perception”),
Chris Hickman (“Branded Baby”), What is Branding?
René Magritte (“The False Mirror”), Branding Story
Menniti Giovanni (“I Love New York”), Brand: Place
Kripa Gandhi (“Makdrap Rent-A-Costume”), Never disguise a Pose
Business Week, Qualitative Research
Dobiragi (“Everywhere Questions”), What can be Branded?
www.sodahead.com, Branding in the Real World
For further reading:
Alina Wheeler (2003), “Designing Brand Identity,” Wiley
Kevin Lane Keller (1993), “Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity,” Prentice Hall: New Jersey
Michael Porter (1996), “What is Strategy?,” Harvard Business Review
Erik du Plessis (2005), “The Advertised Mind,” Millward-Brown
Doug Holt (2003), “What Becomes an Icon Most,” Harvard Business Review
Bernd Schmitt (2009), “The Concept of Brand Experience,” Journal of Brand Management
Thanks to the PR dept. of Chanel, Apple, Coca-Cola, Thunderbird, and Harley Davidson to use their logo and identity elements
Thanks to Carmen Electra and Motörhead for permission to use their pictures
Thanks to all my MBA students at MICA, SP Jain Center of Management, and Great Lakes Institute of Management