“Brand” has become one of the most popular words used in the press today, and relates to everything from the nightly news to business publications. The public in general is becoming more aware of the implications, benefits and power of a well-managed brand. Our entrepreneurial economy has caused people to become much more interested in understanding brands and especially in how to create or manage one.
“The BrandMindset clearly ranks with the best and most enduring approaches I have witnessed in more than 30 years in the corporate world.”
—John Foster, President/Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Europe (retired)
“Brand” is no longer a word to be associated with only large corporations or “packaged goods,” but rather a thought process and a key business strategy regardless of the size of an entity.
Brand has become a generic term for all sorts of things. Interestingly enough, this is just the opposite of Webster’s or Random House’s intended definitions. Consider this: the dictionary defines a brand as “a kind or variety of something distinguished by some distinctive characteristic.”
However, the reality in our crowded marketplace is that “brand” is used most commonly to refer to a familiar name, e.g., a brand name. In many markets a brand’s products and services have become a commodity with the only distinguishable feature being that of price.
We believe that this preoccupation with branding for the brand’s benefit instead of focusing on the differentiated functional and emotional consumer benefits creates a unique opportunity for truly genuine brands.
The BrandMindset provides a guided tour of the brand jungle and the instruction book for how to think like a Genuine Brand. The BrandStrategy Doctrine is the roadmap (comprehensive action plan) utilized by an organization to define its essence (the BrandPromise), to create a paradigm shift resulting in the “position of privilege” (sustainable competitive advantage) for the purpose of optimizing overall brand equity.
Our fundamental philosophy suggests that everything related to creating the BrandStrategy Doctrine must include the consumers’ and customers’ point of view, and represent an objective viewpoint.
The BrandMindset is designed to be entertaining, educational, prescriptive and helpful to any size organization and makes it easy for anyone to understand how to “think like a brand.” It provides a practical “how to” process for readers to guide their organization to building a Genuine Brand. The BrandMindset® includes profiles of successful brands, including Hallmark Cards, Hampton Inn, Lexus, Whirlpool, Starbucks, Citibank, Charter Club.
The BrandMindset consists of nine chapters:
The BrandMindset: Thinking Like a Genuine Brand
An Introduction to the BrandStrategy™ Doctrine Process: The Roadmap for a Genuine Brand
Brand Assessment: The Process to Evaluate Current & Future Brand Equity
The BrandPromise®: “The Guiding Star” for Genuine Brands
The Brand Blueprint: The Architecture of a Brand
Brand Culturalization: Customer Service – “The Heart & Soul” of Genunie Brands
Creating Brand Advantage: Leveraging & Maximizing Brand Equity
brandstrategy.com: Branding on the Internet
Brand Tools: Organizing Your BrandStrategy™ Doctrine Process
Professional Endorsements
We wish to thank all of these acknowledged experts for their endorsement of our BrandPromise® methodology. We consider their insights and references an exceptional professional compliment.
Building Strong Brands
by David A. Aaker
“The bottom line is that unless the role of a brand is simply to support other brands by providing credibility, the brand identity needs to provide a value proposition to the customer.”
Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends
by Tim Sanders
“There are many formulas for how to stop thinking like a commodity and start accomplishing personal branding; my personal favorite is loosely adapted from Duane Knapp’s remarkable book, The BrandMindset. It’s organized around the acronym DREAM (Differentiation, Relevance, Esteem, Awareness, Mind’s Eye). You become a brand by realizing each step of the DREAM.”
Secrets of Customer Relationship Management: It’s All About How You Make Them Feel
by James G. Barnes
“A Genuine Brand is a way of life. It’s not just about a word; it’s a passion, commitment, and a unique promise that gets fulfilled every day.”
A Branded World: Adventures in Public Relations and the Creation of Superbrands
by Michael Levine
“Most people do not have a clue what brand means. A company should decide what their promise is. If they don’t have a brand promise, you have nothing, and it’s not the advertising tagline. It’s what the employees and the company promise to consumers.”
“The BrandMindset is all about Building Genuine Brands; they lead with the heart, nurture with the soul and build one customer at a time.”
Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO, Starbucks Coffee Company and best-selling author of Pour Your Heart Into It