The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication: A Guide to Internal Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, and Leadership

Reach For the Big Ideas

For a brand to journey successfully through the five stages, it must do more than simply communicate the attributes of a product or service. Any brand wants to be remembered positively and wants to affect sales successfully. There is less chance of that happening, frankly, if the brand promise is all about the product or service. Such a focus can limit the impact of the brand to the specific transaction of the moment, with little opportunity to build relationships. And, to create advocates for a brand, relationships are key.

That is where the big idea comes in: to encourage, through positive brand experience, consumers to commit to the sponsoring organization's larger agenda. For example, when Nike uses a phrase, “Just ...