Connective Branding: Building Brand Equity in a Demanding World

EPILOGUE – THE LAW OF THE SEVENTH GENERATION?

In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.

From the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy

Traditional brand management saw the rise of the brand manager – a task that was focused on the short-term maximisation of product sales, the creation of an external image through advertising and other communicative measures, and the emphasis of functional product attributes.

Today the average brand manager stays in their job for less than two years – raising the question whether they are ill-equipped for the new challenges (unlikely) or whether the strategic time horizon is shortening (more likely).

We believe that the brands that will be successful going forward will be the ones that are embraced by the entire organisation, based on solid values that do not see profitability and doing good as mutually exclusive, take a long-term and holistic view with regards to nourishing the brand and consider that how you achieve success is as important as success itself.

This will require a new type of leader who understands the importance of value-based management, genuinely values her people, and can inspire and motivate employees, customers, and other key stakeholders alike. These leaders will carry the brand torch and successfully leverage a framework like connective branding.

Most importantly, they have a basic choice to treat their brand like a rainforest (extract and deplete) or a rice field ...