What Great Brands Do: Brand-building Principles

A few of Scott Bedbury's brand-building principles are listed here. Bedbury is former senior vice president of marketing at Starbucks Coffee. From the book Advertising: A Framework by W. Ronald and J. Thomas Russell. Please refer to the book for detailed explanations of each principle.

1. A Great Brand Is in It for the Long Haul: Today, a great brand is a necessity, not a luxury. Use a long-term approach.

2. A Great Brand Can Be Anything: Some categories lend themselves to branding better than others, but anything is brandable. Almost any product offers an opportunity to create a frame of mind that is unique.

3. A Great Brand Knows Itself: First, understand who you are. Identify what customers like and dislike. Find out what they associate as the very core of the brand concept.

4. A Great Brand Invents or Reinvents an Entire Category: A great brand raises the bar, it adds a greater sense of purpose to the experience.

5. A Great Brand Taps into Emotions: Customers live in an emotional world. Emotions drive most, if not all, of our decisions. It is an emotional connection that transcends the product.

6. A Great Brand Is a Story That Is Never Completely Told: A brand is a metaphorical story that is evolving all the time.

7. A Great Brand Has Design Consistency: Successful brands have a consistent look and feel and a high level of design integrity.

8. A Great Brand Is Relevant: Meet what people want. Build products that performs the way people want it to. Consumers are looking for something that has lasting value.