Lean Branding

Chapter 1. What Is a Brand?

Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith, and perseverance to create a brand.

—David Ogilvy

I’ve been there. You just came up with the ultimate product idea—and there’s a 99.9% chance that it will change the world as we know it.

You can’t sleep. You build, and build, and build. You eat. Then you build some more.

Then it suddenly hits you: how’s this “thing” that you’re building going to change the world? Better yet, what is the name of this “thing”? At this point, you’re so passionate about it you’d probably wear a t-shirt. What would be on that t-shirt anyway? What is your unique message to the world? Do you have one? What symbols stand strong behind that message?

We’ll dive into all of these questions in this chapter, which will cover how to think strategically about brands and a few central concepts in Lean Branding theory.

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is you not only can, but you must, use a lifeline: go ahead and ask the audience. The bad news is you need to wrap up an early version of your product, stop working, and go outside right now. Your marathon will have to wait until you figure out if this “thing” you’re building has a place in the world. Don’t get too comfortable when you find it; “Is that your final answer?” questions are irrelevant in this game. This game is about constantly retesting your answers, coming up with new questions, and using lifelines as much as you can.

Defining Brand

A brand is the unique story ...