Brand architecture often comes down to an evaluation of tradeoffs. In my experience, there’s rarely a cost-free benefit or a no-foul cost. That’s why I have found the concept of brand value so helpful. It focuses on the net effect of an initiative — are the benefits worth more than the costs of getting those benefits or are cost-saving initiatives doing more harm than good?
In “The Unexpected Universe” naturalist Loren Eisley tells of coming upon a spider in a forest spinning the sticky spokes of the web that extend her senses out into the world. Just so, brand planners need to find ways of extending their senses far beyond what can be directly perceived by their ears and eyes. Like the spider, brand planners sit in the middle of a complex web, listening, watching, waiting.
Is brand trust in a crisis? Brand trust is earned through consistently delivering on the brand’s promise. Brand trust is the only way you can build loyal brand advocates. But the global trend is working in the opposite direction. Young & Rubicam BrandAsset Valuator reveals that consumers trust in renowned brands continues to slide.
