I really enjoyed this article on why a brand is so much more than a commodity by Helen Edwards in Marketing Week and her formula for what a brand should achieve - start with a superb product and wrap it up in real meaning that appeals to every stakeholder who is part of its journey. It's especially true now, when we are all looking for reassurance, consistency and quality in the brands we buy.
Do I believe that brands should look for meaning that is bigger than the category and yet somehow still connected with it? I do and always have. It is the basis for distinction, scale and fame. Do I believe that meaning needs always to be grandiose, societal and challenging? For some brands – charities, movements, medicines – maybe. For everyday brands – chocolate, toiletries, teabags – the resulting loss of reward may never make up for the gain in notability.
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