Monday 12 July 2010

THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF BRANDING


  1. EXPANSIONThe power of a brand is inversely proportional to its scope.
  2. CONTRACTIONA brand becomes stronger when you narrow its focus.
  3. PUBLICITYThe birth of a brand is achieved with publicity, not advertising.
  4. ADVERTISINGOnce born, a brand needs advertising to stay healthy.
  5. THE WORDA brand should strive to own a word in the mind of the consumer.
  6. CREDENTIALSThe crucial ingredient in the success of any brand is its claim to authenticity
  7. QUALITYQuality is important, but brands are not built on quality alone.
  8. CATEGORYA leading brand should promote the cateogry, not the brand.
  9. NAMEIn the long run a brand is nothing more than a name.
  10. EXTENSIONSThe easiest way to destroy a brand is to put its name on everything.
  11. FELLOWSHIPIn order to build the category, a brand should welcome other brands.
  12. THE GENERICOne of the fastest routes to failure is giving a brand a generic name.
  13. THE COMPANYBrands are brands. Companies are companies. There is a difference.
  14. SUB-BRANDSWhat branding builds, subbranding can destroy.
  15. SIBLINGSThere is a time and a place to launch a second brand.
  16. SHAPE A brand's logotype should be designed to fit the eyes. Both eyes.
  17. COLOURA brand should use a color that is the opposite of its major competitor's.
  18. BORDERSThere are no barriers to global branding. A brand should know no borders.
  19. CONSISTENCYA brand is not built overnight. Success is measured in decades, not years.
  20. CHANGEBrands can be changed, but only infrequently and only very carefully.
  21. MORTALITY No brand will live forever. Euthanasia is often the best solution.
  22. SINGULARITYThe most important aspect of a brand is its single-mindedness.

  The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding are by Al Reis.