Steal These Ideas!: Marketing Secrets That Will Make You a Star, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 3

WHAT MAKES A BRAND SUCCESSFUL? HOW DO YOU MANAGE IT?

Branding has been around as long as humans have occupied the planet. From the day we are born, we continually compare ourselves to others until the day we die. Even after death, the beat goes on with tombstones and markers to eternally signify what our life represented versus the person buried in the next plot over.

Simply stated, a brand is a recognizable person, place, or thing. Our job as marketers is to create brands that are separate and distinct from similar products or services offered by competitors. It's all about differentiation.

The best definition of what a brand should do to be successful I attribute to fellow marketing book author, James Twitchell. In his superb book, ...