Brands Transcend Categories Through Ideological Resonance And Long-Term Equity

Key Quotes

"The essence of brand equity is brand is an asset and it has long term value you do this short term stuff spawned by bcg and scanner data and the rest you're going to destroy brands and they did destroy brands so then gradually it took over marketing and marketing became strategic not tactical it became sweet sweet not mid management and we have progressed on that for 30 years some years and now i see a regression we got this demand marketing or performance marketing you got to deliver now you need leads you need sales and they gave it this great brand demand marketing and i saw some backsliding and so i i created the five bs to remind people that branding is more than awareness and image in particular it's it's includes brand loyalty which gets you into product development gets you into customer journey gets you into segmentation gets you into culture uh one of marcus's ideas and so tourism doesn't do that"

David Aaker explains that brand equity is a long-term asset, contrasting it with short-term strategies that can harm brands. He notes a regression in marketing towards demand or performance marketing, which he argues is detrimental. Aaker introduced the "five Bs" framework to emphasize that branding encompasses more than just awareness and image, including crucial elements like brand loyalty and culture.

"The first brand that comes to mind is probably sprite while a lot of brands were in my life i never thought about them as brands but sprite was the first time i knew i was engaging with a brand it was through that obey your thirst work in my teenage years the first time i felt like advertising was talking directly to me and i was making a conscious decision to purchase this branded product because of what it meant i mean that work was just it it i mean even to this day i see the spots i mean i teach the spots but i see the spots and i get chills because it just feels so of the time and my identity was so so unbelievably connected to it"

Marcus Collins shares that Sprite was the first brand he remembers making a significant impact on him. He felt that the "Obey Your Thirst" campaign spoke directly to him as a teenager, influencing his conscious decision to purchase the product. Collins highlights how this advertising resonated with his identity at the time, creating a strong emotional connection.

"You don't build community you facilitate it you find to your point not just fans but people who subscribe to the same beliefs that guide you as a brand as a person as a human being and when you operate at that fidelity you move beyond what you do the value propositions of your products but to represent an ideology a belief a conviction that people subscribe to and their consumption of your work of your products uh are not just because of their functional value but because of their their ideological congruence and consuming you and your wares and your dealings they become ways by which they make their culture material which is really powerful"

Marcus Collins reflects on his experience working with Beyoncé, stating that he learned community is not built but facilitated. He emphasizes that brands should connect with people who share the same beliefs, moving beyond product value propositions to represent an ideology or conviction. Collins explains that when people consume a brand's offerings, it becomes a way for them to express their culture and align with the brand's ideology.

"I think every brand needs energy and differentiation for that matter but and every brand has almost no way of gaining it if you make toothpaste or or if you make bar soap you you there's no way to get energy so what you have to do is to attach yourself to something with energy and and that's how one of the reasons i got into purpose you know i with i followed jim stengel wherever he goes but that's so the year the guy is social social purpose is a way to get energy it's a way not only to help people but it's a way to energize and i love the story of dove real beauty that took us two point six billion dollar yeah that's not proctor and gamble of course but not everything is take a six two point six billion dollar business and turned into a six point five billion dollar business all on the on the backs of a social program called real beauty and its little sister called self esteem program"

David Aaker discusses the concept of "brand energizers," suggesting that brands, especially those in less dynamic categories like toothpaste or soap, need to attach themselves to sources of energy. He points to social purpose as a way to achieve this, citing the Dove "Real Beauty" campaign as a successful example. Aaker explains that such social programs can energize a business, lift its image, and increase engagement, transforming it into a core part of the business rather than just a charitable donation.

"The other thing i would say is is more maybe a little more tactical but the lowest hanging fruit i've ever seen is you're going to a business and you say what's your secret sauce what do you really proud of here and they can give you a three minute brilliant articulate passionate description of what that secret sauce is and then you then then you stop and you pause for a moment let silence carry the day and see why don't you brand that and they think and they say well you know i can't brand that that's just a a way we treat people and i give a rattle off the three or four companies that have branded just that they have a way of treating people the hp way or something and they branded it you can brand that lowest hanging fruit as they say you find something that's important to you that's differentiating that's resonating brand it and if it if it's not your own with the brand but it's not activated activate that brand guys"

David Aaker suggests that a readily available opportunity for branding lies in identifying a company's "secret sauce" -- what they are most proud of. He advises that if a company can articulate this clearly and passionately, they should consider branding it. Aaker notes that often, companies overlook branding these core strengths, such as their unique way of treating people, which he believes is a form of "lowest hanging fruit" for brand development.