Loud Thinking April 29, 2014 at 01:28PM

Great Branding Takes More Than Advertising

As digital disrupts more marketplaces, brands become more important and valuable – not less. They provide meaning and satisfy emotional needs. As consumers experience information overload, the tendency to gravitate toward what’s familiar increases. At the same time, reliance on traditional tools, like advertising, corporate identity programs, and PR, to build brands is waning. So how can companies strengthen their brands? Look at Apple: Since its “Think Different” ad campaign, it has withdrawn from image-building ads, kept a smaller marketing budget, and instead, focused brand efforts on creating a well-designed, holistic product experience. Firms must be able to tell a meaningful story through actions and products, not words in ads or statements. Products and services should encapsulate a brand and communicate value without an additional layer of advertising. Make your brand more central and embed it across the customer value chain.

Adapted by HBR from “ Brands Aren’t Dead, But Traditional Branding Tools Are Dying” by Jens Martin Skibsted and Rasmus Bech Hansen.

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