Co-creation - Re-understanding the brand: Hamlet, the Ship of Theseus and For the Tribe (2)

Brands are familiar to everyone, and everyone has different opinions about them. But is it as simple as we think? The author of this article will discuss "What is a brand?" and "How to brand?" from the perspective of a brand creator. It is divided into four parts. Let's take a look!

After centuries of reincarnation and exploration by countless great brand thinkers, we seem to have got the answer to what a brand is.

Is a brand a logo? Is a brand a symbol? Is a brand a promise? Is a brand an image? Is a brand a symbol? Is a brand an asset? Is a brand an attitude? Is a brand a belief? Is a brand an emotion? Is a brand a relationship? Is a brand a cognition? Is a brand a mental imprint? Is a brand a lifestyle? Is a brand an ecosystem? ... ?

All of these statements may be correct, but if we accept the above statements, is the brand really a "symbol", "promise", "image", "relationship", "lifestyle" and "ecosystem"?

This chapter is divided into four parts, which discuss "What is a brand?" and "How to brand?" from the perspective of brand creators:

1. What is a brand? ——Hamlet of 1,000 people
2. Re-understanding the brand - "Perception", "Ship of Theseus", "For the Tribe"
3. Where is the boundary of a brand? ——One truth and four facts.
4. Finally, branding in the digital age - from the sense of participation to the sense of co-creation!

1. What is a brand? ——1000 “Hamlets”

There are a thousand "Hamlets" in the eyes of a thousand people!
——Chinese proverb about repaying one’s parents’ kindness

After studying the thoughts of brand scholars, marketing experts, and advertisers in Chapter 1, let’s take a look at the understanding of brands by the creators of great brands and cognitive entrepreneurs in the digital age.

1. 10 creators of great brands that "changed the world"

(1) NiKE founder Phil Knight during the lawsuit with Onitsuka Tiger in 1975:

“We are creating a brand, but also a culture; we are fighting against drifting, boredom and misery; we are selling not only a product, but also an idea and a spirit.”

——《Shoe Dog》

(2) Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, wrote in his company mission statement in 1988:

“Our coffee aims to improve the working environment of our partners. The rewards should not only be financial, but also spiritual. We want to create a working atmosphere where every partner can share in the growth.”

“A company’s role and responsibility in society is to find ways to strengthen its community, to be a positive voice, to be a collaborator, a convener, a listener, an empathizer, an educator, a volunteer, a sharer, a changemaker.”

——From the Beginning

(3) Steve Jobs, founder of Apple

"Do you want to continue selling sugary drinks for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?" - When Jobs was poaching from PepsiCo in 1983.

"We must clearly communicate what we want consumers to remember about us, and the most important key is the core value of the brand . Brands do not sell products and technology, nor do they sell how good you are compared to your competitors. They sell core values, just like Nike sells shoes, but never mentions specifications and technology in its ads, and only promotes great athletes. Apple's core value is that we believe that people with passion can change the world. This is our belief! We want to convey this message to the world! "

——Steve Jobs’ speech before the “Think Different” advertisement

(4) Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (2001 letter to shareholders)

"The brand 's image in the eyes of users is our most valuable asset, and we will nourish it through innovation and hard work."

——Long-termism

(5) Nadella, the third CEO who led Microsoft to regain its glory (2014 letter to employees)

" We must be clear about what the world would lose if Microsoft disappeared, and we must answer why we exist - to empower every person and every organization in the world to achieve extraordinary results."

——Refresh: Rediscovering Business and the Future

(6) Suzuki Toshifumi , Masuda Muneaki, Tsutsumi Seiji

Toshifumi Suzuki believes that products that cannot bring value to consumers cannot occupy a place in the market; we pursue "absolute value" as our goal, create our own unique characteristics, and pursue "absolute value" as our goal. The emergence of competitors is even an opportunity to expand the market! ——"The Philosophy of Retail"

Masuda Muneaki said, we want to create a lifestyle that makes users excited ; in addition, the size of the company is determined only by the sum of the dreams of each employee ! ——"Tsutaya Management Philosophy"

MUJI's grand strategy is to "make it work" , which includes the following six points: ① Rebirth of the injured earth ② Re-recognize the diversity of civilization ③ Re-evaluate the pursuit of comfort and convenience ④ Do not pursue the aesthetics of new and shiny objects ⑤ Re-build relationships ⑥ Eat, sleep, walk, and clean well. ——"The Thoughts and Words of MUJI on the Birth of MUJI"

(7) Ivan Chouinard, founder of Patagonia

When Chouinard donated $3 billion of his company to "Earth" in 2022, he said: " We choose to use Patagonia to create wealth to protect the source of all wealth (the earth); we run a business to save our home ."

——"The Earth is Now Our Only Shareholder" & "Let All My Employees Go Surfing"

In their view, a brand can be a kind of culture, spirit, or concept; or a means to inspire energy and help others. Ultimately, a brand is a tool to lead everyone to create beauty and change the world.

2. 6 European and American DTC brand founders who were born digital

(1) John Foley, founder of Peloton

“What we promote is not just a product, but a religion – users need a spiritual sustenance, and his products provide them with the confidence to regain a beautiful body and life. Users are connected to each other, and they are each other’s spiritual sustenance and sublimation.”

(2) Laura, founder of Seed Beauty

“We don’t predict makeup trends, we create them!” “Digital marketing is like breathing, it’s something we do all the time, it’s very natural.”

(3) Allbirds founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger

“Shoes are just a means to an end, and our dreams are much bigger. We believe that comprehensive environmental improvement is the biggest problem of our generation, and we also believe that business can be a huge force in solving this problem . Therefore, sustainable development is written into Allbirds’ governance structure, and even if Tim and Joey leave in the future, no one can erase this from the company’s DNA.”

(4) Andrew Dudum, founder of Hims

“It is important to make ‘him’ feel cared for. We are not a medical e-commerce company, but a lifestyle brand. We are a one-stop solution for men’s health, providing health consultation services and solutions for consumers of different ages.”

（5）Zak, founder of Dirty Lemon

“Consumers’ disdain for carbonated soft drinks and their desire for functional ingredients are precisely our key opportunities. In addition, there are no very cool brands in natural beverages. We are trying to use a more modern and avant-garde marketing approach to match the needs and life philosophy of millennial consumers. ”

(6) Away, founder of Away

“We hope to become a company that can lead the current lifestyle and be a guide that can lead consumers to look at travel and the world in a new way. We are not just a brand that sells suitcases, but we provide everything related to travel, including suitcases, for young people of Generation Z , and we are born for modern travel.”

3. 14 Chinese entrepreneurs who are not alone in their pursuit of success

Or take a look at what the ambitious unicorns or Chinese brand creators are saying about themselves that they are changing the world.

If you put them together with resource-based entrepreneurs, they seem out of place. But when you put them alongside those great founders and DTC brand entrepreneurs, you’ll find that they are different yet harmonious, unique yet not lonely.

1. Wang Ning, founder of "KEEP" - "Brand is spirit and belief ."
2. Nie Yunchen, founder of "HEYTEA" - "We hope to convey the entire culture of tea drinks, including inspiration, design, and coolness."
3. Mulan, founder of "Little Red Book" - "I think the brand is complete, open and different - the complete belief means that he has his own complete belief and a set of values; openness means that the product is constantly innovating and iterating, and it has its own direction to go; being different means that I can recognize him at a glance in a crowd.
4. Lun Jiayu, the founder of "HowBottle", said: " We care because we love, and we take action because we care ."
5. Jiu Yue, founder of YouLan - "A brand is a consensus aggregation of unique propositions."
6. Liu Xiaolu, founder of Neiwai - "We are a long-termist and have the determination to lead the market. We hope to move into the future with our users."
7. MIKI, founder of "LAN", said: "Building a brand is about reaching the spiritual world of consumers through ideas and stories."
8. Wu Yin, founder and CEO of "YIN" - "The starting point of the brand is obsession and boundaries; the end point of the brand is long-term and reliable trust and companionship."
9. He Yi, founder of "The Beast from the East" - "Brand is a sincere, brave and romantic experiment . We need the courage to create and the ambition to face the world."
10. Liu Zhe, founder of "Ten 15": "This world is still imperfect, and we want to try to add a choice that we think is more ideal to this world."
11. Tiao Tiao, founder of "Super Monkey" - "All great companies are communities of faith . The most efficient way to manage people is faith."
12. "lessgo" CEO Peng Ying - "What you consume cannot define you, only what you create can define you ."
13. Jiang Laodao, founder and director of "Daily Food Diary" - "It is a process of constantly confirming and correcting one's own values" - co-founder Zhuzi "We can never give up the desire to create the real texture of life with our own hands."
14. Founder of "Mixed Juice" - "Brand grows naturally."

(Note: The above is compiled based on the interview content of Content Brand Planet)

Brand Ape believes that most of the leaders, supervisors and founders of these brands have not read the theories of the previous brand thinkers. They rely on their keen perception and profound insight to define the brand in their own way and brand their own brands with their own imagination.

They shifted their focus from things to people; they strived to be different rather than better; they did not think about solving existing problems, but about creating new value and opening up a new world; they desired not only to make money and continue to grow, but also to fulfill their social responsibilities, change the world or express themselves.

In their hands, brands are evolving from logos/assets, personality/culture to attitude/belief; the creation logic is evolving from eyeballs to eyes, from making beautiful things to finding like-minded people, from conveying ideas to exploring life to creating a better future together.

At this moment, do you still think that the brand is a "symbol", "promise", "image", "relationship", "lifestyle" or "ecosystem"?

2. So, what is a brand? ——Rethinking about brands

The limits of my language mean the limits of my world!
—Wittgenstein

Since there is no right or wrong in 1,000 "Hamlets", why do we need to give a "definite" definition to the brand?

Two thoughts: " one thought " and " Occam's razor " .

• " One thinking " is a first principle-based way of thinking proposed by Aristotle. He believed that most ways of thinking are to find solutions within the system, while "One thinking" jumps out of the system and pursues the "primary starting point" of the problem. With the primary starting point, it is like a big tree taking root, growing freely without fear of change.
• " Occam's razor " refers to the way of thinking that is simplified as much as possible in logic as abstract thinking. This kind of thinking believes that the only way for humans to understand and control the world is to "simplify" it, and anything that is dispensable should be eliminated. Only through simplified cognition can we see the essence and give birth to the "present" from the "possible" .

Starting from this point, we can find the origin and essence of the "brand", and then we can easily come up with the "branding" methods such as image, positioning and super symbols, such as the sword demon Dugu Qiubai in "The Return of the Condor Heroes": "After the age of forty, I was not attached to things. Grass, wood, bamboo and stone could all be used as swords. From then on, I practiced diligently and gradually reached the state where swordlessness was better than swords."

Now, let's stop our steps, stand on the shoulders of countless giants, step out of the matter again, and return to the starting point to see if we can give a simplified and concise definition of the shaved "brand", which I hope will be inspiring to you and your business.

Brand Ape gives three progressive and independent brand definitions.

1. Brand is “personal perception”

In The Brand Chasm, Marty Neumeier argues that brand is a personal intuition .

Let us continue this line of thought from Descartes' "I think I am", Schopenhauer's "The world is my will", and Berkeley's "Things are collections of ideas and existence is perception". A more strategic definition may be:

Brand is "personal perception" - that is, a person's "perception" of a certain product, service or company!

• This is a kind of "perception" . Although we try to remain rational, we are all emotional and intuitive "people" after all. This "perception" not only refers to the five senses, but also includes intuition and emotions, expectations and meanings.
• This is “personal perception.” Everyone creates their own version of a brand, and brands are ultimately defined by individuals, not by companies, the market, or the so-called masses.
• This perception of "mutual influence" includes both the six senses that infect each other and the mutual influence between different individuals. We cannot control this process, but we can influence it through communication. When "enough" people have the "same perception" , it can be said that the company has a brand.

From this, we get the first BIG conclusion: users are the protagonists of the brand, the masters of the story, and the center of the picture!

For brand creation, three cognitions need to be refreshed:

• First, a brand is not what you say it is, but what people who come into contact with the brand perceive it to be. Then the nature of your users determines your future, so you need to carefully choose your audience; further, instead of thinking about improving and positioning your products, it is better to think about how to improve and position your users .
• Second, when the protagonist of the story is the user, not you, it is natural to listen to user feedback, gain insight into their behavior, help them solve problems, build their identity, and become better.
• Third, the stories of all the protagonists are interwoven together to form a grand story network. When you present these stories to the public, people with the same perception will quietly build your brand. This is true for both the East and the West, from Homer's epics, One Thousand and One Nights to the Book of Songs.

This is the underlying understanding of the "co-creation and sharing" mentality with users.

2. Brand is a kind of "collective imagination"

"Ship of Theseus Paradox": A ship can sail on the sea for hundreds of years, and as long as a plank rots, the plank will be replaced.

So the question is, if all the parts of the ship were replaced, would the resulting ship still be the original Ship of Theseus, or a completely different ship?

Peugeot is a good example of isomorphism. This century-old brand has changed its founder, company owner, suppliers, products, and even its philosophy, culture and values. So is this brand still the same brand?

In "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind", Yuval Noah Harari believes that the domination of the earth by Homo sapiens began with the cognitive revolution, from "beware of lions" to "lions are our guardian angels" , an imagined/fictional story together. The key point is not to have this "imagination" but "together".

A brand is a kind of "collective imagination" - that is, using a concept that is commonly recognized by society to identify a specific thing.

• The philosophical expression of "imagination" is "concept". For example, Plato's "horse". When we put together the characteristics of the various parts that make up the horse and the whole is unique enough, we will have the cognition of a horse, not a cow or a bicycle. A brand is an approximate but exact "concept" of each part, founder, product, service or company.
• "Collective" imagination , the so-called collective is a part of the stakeholders. No brand can cover everyone, just like a great leader never tries to satisfy everyone. You just need to invite people who recognize you to build imagination together and create life together.
• The purpose of "collective imagination" is to identify, but it is not just about image. We need to know "what" makes it "different": product services, design and image, new values, lifestyle, attitude, concept, responsibility, and of course, which tribe I will enter if I buy it.

The second BIG conclusion - a brand is not created by you, but is collectively imagined and co-created by stakeholders.

The branding method extended from this can be explained in more detail:

• First, brands are not created alone or developed in isolation, but are the result of long-term interaction between thousands of people , created by people who have the same ideas as you. Therefore, "who we are" is far less important than "who they are"; we must first find the user identity, not the brand positioning.
• Second , it is not enough to just know who the users are. You also need to be consistent with their purpose in order to make this group vibrant, become your dream selves together, and create a better life together.
• Third, from being a lifestyle leader to being a lifestyle co-builder. We don’t just shape our desires by ourselves, but need to approach from the dimensions of time, space, nature, consciousness, objects, rituals, and technology, to re-establish a new perception and imagination of lifestyles, rediscover desires, re-use resources, and develop innovations in collaborative ecology.

The words "enough perceptions" and "collective imagination" show that the brand was created by "us" together!

3. Brand is a sense of belonging and community identity!

Let us continue to search for the ultimate holy grail of brand definition from tribes, religions, psychologists, thousand-year-old families, and century-old clubs.

(1) “For the tribe”: cohesion and belonging

"Man is an animal suspended in a web of meaning that he has woven himself." - Max Weber

Most of the civilizations in human history developed from small tribes, such as Fayum, Ubaid, Yanhuang... When these prehistoric tribes had beliefs, had members to belong to, and formed their own culture, the Egyptian civilization, Sumerian civilization, and Chinese civilization emerged.

Studying modern Aboriginal tribes can provide a glimpse into this history.

For example, why do Indian tribes and Australian Aborigines have such cohesion that has lasted for thousands of years: they divide ethnic groups by tribes, and every member of each tribe knows how to use unique tribal symbols: dance, language, visual and auditory symbols, mythological totems. In this way, they distinguish their own tribe from other tribes, while also showing their own characteristics to people from other tribes, creating an emotional difference and a sense of belonging to a lifestyle.

These tribal symbols, characteristics, distinctions, and meanings are all designed to make people in the tribe feel a sense of belonging and grow together with the tribe.

The same is true for religion. There are many different beliefs in the world. They all believe that their beliefs are special and feel strongly that they can communicate with the "God" in their hearts. What is important is that in this community they care about each other, commit to each other, and are connected to each other.

Yes and it is true, a highly cohesive, meaningful tribe & religion can be understood as a brand.

(2) Collective subconsciousness and group identity

Let’s look at psychologists’ research on “sense of belonging”.

Jung believed that:

The reason why science cannot replace religion is that religion provides the language of personality archetypes ; the deep patterns and structures, archetypes in consciousness can only be expressed in the language of mythology or religious symbols .

It has a collective nature, appearing in forms or images throughout the world through mythological elements, and is also a product of the subconscious in individuals.

The group subconscious is "alive", and the decision-making method of the entire group is driven by the collective subconscious of the group .

It’s really brain-burning. To put it simply: a sense of belonging is the most basic and essential need and driving force of human beings!

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is easier to understand: he ranks belongingness as the third level - everyone wants mutual relationships and care. Because emotional needs are more detailed than physiological needs, they are related to a person's physical characteristics, experience, education and religious beliefs.

Therefore, people create " communities " in which they can participate: thousand-year-old families, hundred-year-old clubs, various political groups, organizations, associations, communities... where they can become someone, feel as if they belong to them, and of course they can also distinguish themselves from others - without boundaries, there is no sense of security.

(3) New “tribal & religious” community identity – brand

If we extend the concept of tribe and religion to the modern era, a brand is a new kind of community: a tribe with faith, a religion of mutual relationships and care, a family/club of mutual achievement.

Wally Olins, an international branding guru and corporate identity expert, who is described by the Financial Times as a leader in branding and identity, expressed it most accurately: "Branding, at its core, reflects the human condition. It ultimately represents a sense of belonging: expressing that humans belong to a tribe, a religion, or a family."

Therefore, a brand is a sense of belonging and community identity.

On the contrary, without a sense of belonging and the "symbols", "commitments", "image", "relationships", "lifestyles" and "ecosystems" that are recognized by the community, it cannot be said that one owns a brand.

In reality, many of our daily conversations essentially revolve around a sense of belonging: Are we born in the 80s or 90s? Are we new middle class or working class? Are we running marathons or doing yoga?

After these lifestyle segments are combined with brands, they are dynamically transformed into different communities. Mercedes-Benz or Tesla? Apple or Xiaomi? Nike or Li Ning? Dell or Huawei? Starbucks or Luckin?

Another way of understanding it is that the concepts we have built around Nike, Coca-Cola, Apple, and Xiaomi are to create a certain emotion to satisfy a sense of belonging among human beings.

When Nike says “Just do it” and Apple says “Think Different”, it’s like they’re peering into my soul. At least some users will think that since they know me so well, the shoes and computers may be good, and then willingly join these groups.

The difference is that the "tribes" established by the brand will be based on purchase status. You can join any number of groups at any time, giving you a sense of belonging beyond yourself.

You also have to know that the sense of belonging to a brand tribe can be powerful, even dangerously powerful.

As you and I have seen, Harley-Davidson fans travel thousands of miles to gather, Apple fans queue up all night to buy new products, the LEGO Super Players Global Exhibition, Xiaomi's Mi Fans Festival and NIO DAY all show that the sense of belonging is powerful and dangerous. Sometimes it makes us feel that the world has become smaller and more comfortable, but it is difficult to see the wider world.

The third BIG conclusion: Creating a brand is about creating beliefs and forming a sense of belonging.

A more radical conclusion is that it is no longer the companies that own the brands, but the users who derive meaning from the brands and communities; future competition will no longer be between companies, but between communities and values ​​between concepts.

When you recognize that the essence of a brand is a sense of belonging, then the question is, how to form a sense of belonging and community identity?

• Identification and differentiation create a sense of belonging based on emotional differences.
• A community with beliefs and belief systems.
• Together and create together. "The four irons of life": we went to school together, we fought together, and we believed in God together.

All of this seems to be easier to achieve in the era of mobile Internet: digital technology not only eliminates geographical boundaries, allowing tribes to be large in scale, but more importantly, tribes can become more diverse - small, influential, horizontal, vertical, cross-cutting, three-dimensional, temporal, and even unheard of.

Digital technology has made the global village a reality and revived the tribal spirit of ancient times.

Traditional businesses spend their time finding target groups and their money marketing to them.

Smart brands are creating tribes, large groups of followers who become missionaries moving forward together.

Develop truly loyal followers, form your own tribe, and exert the power to appeal to hundreds of people, this is the real influence!

——Seth Godin, Tribe

Finally, please ask yourself, if rational people like us also desire to find our own "tribe and religion" , hoping that this deep relationship can support ourselves, protect ourselves, define ourselves, and help us understand this complex but unstoppable world.

4. Now, let’s rethink the brand

8,000 words later, the simplified & concise brand definition is here.

The so-called brand is personal perception, group imagination and a sense of belonging.

Hahaha, now it’s very simple when I explain it in detail.

3. Where is the boundary of the brand? ——One truth and five facts

The purpose of a finite game is to win, while the purpose of an infinite game is to continue the game.

——Finite and Infinite Games

1. One truth about brands – infinite games

Let’s first look at a short evolutionary story.

Liu Run borrowed the story of the giraffe's neck lengthening in the theory of evolution: Did the giraffe's neck lengthen slowly or did it mutate?

The latest evolutionary researchers believe that this occurred due to gene mutation.

A relevant case is: Without mutation, no matter how powerful Alibaba is, it would never be able to create WeChat; and it would be difficult for Baidu to create Toutiao.

However, before the evolutionary mutation, there is another evolutionary perspective:

Did something as amazing and complex as the eye appear suddenly through mutation or through continuous evolution?

In the short term, the evolution from photoreceptor cells to compound eyes to spherical eyes, from lens to retina, and from bright to monochrome to triple, is a mutation; but if we extend the history of biology over 3.5 billion years, we can see the evolution from simple to complex - the evolution of "survival".

They all point to the way of all things: "Evolution for survival, evolution for life" . So, is the truth of brand also understood :

(1) Necessary evolution: heredity x inheritance

In the past 20 years, traditional brands and advertising have been heading towards a death spiral.

The new era has spawned many new brand ideas, whether they are futurists, innovation scholars or cutting-edge masters, whether redefining or innovating methods: digital brands, DTC brands, lifestyle brands, new consumer brands, long-termism; explosive products, long tail, experience, scenes, peaks, circles, traffic pools, IPization, sense of participation, all of which are the integration and practice of original classic brands, advertising and marketing over the years.

In the view of Brand Ape, as the pace of change accelerates, the market environment becomes more differentiated and conflicting, deconstruction and flow will become increasingly complex, and we need to look back and draw strength from the underlying concepts of some brands and brand theories.

Just like the brand "differentiation" strategy, from early identification and differentiation, category differentiation to mental resources, from blue ocean strategy, cultural strategy, to Apple's "extraordinary" and "MUJI" philosophy, the essence is difference and differentiation.

Anyone who abandons those original classic brand management ideas would be wrong, and anyone who ignores this change would be foolish.

Therefore, every brand person still needs to read those classics "Confessions of an Advertiser", "Marketing Management", "Positioning", "Source of Brand", "Blue Ocean Strategy", "Brand Master", "From Good to Great", "Once Upon a Time" and so on.

(2) Continuous Evolution: Variation X Innovation

However, what is even more unfortunate is that we have experienced the tremendous impact of digitalization and artificial intelligence on everyone and even every time and space. We have experienced a new upgrade in individual needs and dramatic changes in each role, but the underlying logic of most Chinese advertising and marketing companies is still lingering in history: identification, positioning, categories, symbols...

Every brand person is aware of the impact of this change and cannot deny the disruptive nature of this change, but is still immersed in the changes in brand concepts and marketing routines, and few people think about: Should the underlying logic of the brand evolve today?

At this time, we should explore new brand ideas and collect and refine brand principles that can better reflect changes and constancy from the deep thoughts and extensive practices of cognitive entrepreneurs, a new generation of marketers, and brand explorers in order to face greater changes in the future.

Tribute to two great masters, Aaker and Kotler, who, even at the age of 80+, still upgraded their concepts:

• David A Aaker, the originator of brand assets, believes that: a brand is a unique symbol used for differentiation (1991) → a brand is a promise + multiple value experiences + relationships (2014).
• Philip Kotler, the father of modern marketing: Brand is identification and differentiation (1994) → Brand is a promise and perception (1997) → Brand is name + symbol + common association (2016) → Brand is human well-being and happiness (2018).

▲The picture shows the cover of Marketing Management over the years

Like the evolution of the eyes, brand thinking needs to survive in the DNA of our predecessors; more importantly, like a mutant giraffe, brand awareness must continue to evolve and change, otherwise even a powerful dinosaur cannot escape the fate of extinction.

This is a game with the purpose of continuing the game. This is a game without boundaries and infinity!

2. Five more truths you need to know about brands!

Truth 1: "Your perception of a brand determines its success and future."

There is a saying that "the founder's cognitive boundaries determine the company's development boundaries"; an isomorphic sentence pattern is "your perception of the brand determines your brand's achievements and future."

Therefore, the future of your brand is not determined by a strategy company, marketing company, brand company, or design company, but by you.

Truth 2: No successful brand is created by a single theory alone.

Think about it, those theories that claim to have won the market by relying on UPS, BI, positioning, and super symbols, have they really created a brand by relying on a selling point, a packaging, an IP, or a category positioning?

Truth 3: A brand theory that suits you is a good theory.

Most of the time, when every marketing and brand expert and advertiser talks about brands, they are demonstrating a brand thinking method that they understand. There is no right or wrong. The key lies in whether it is suitable for the current brand, its position, and the market it faces.

The super symbol of H&H can make Mixue Bingcheng successful, but it can never make HEYTEA, MANNER and SANDUNBAN successful.

Truth 4: "The winner takes it all" and "the last one standing takes it all" can both prove that you are right.

One truth about brands is that brands work in different ways; another truth about brands is that whoever succeeds is the truth!

Luckin Coffee, which nearly went bankrupt, really became a king in 2022, with revenue exceeding 10 billion for the first time and overall operating profit turning from loss to profit for the first time.

Truth 5: The success or failure of a business is its own business; brand companies are only responsible for collecting money and doing the work.

Look at Hua & Hua's sobriety:

People often ask: "Your consulting company always talks about success stories, but does H&H have any failure stories?"
Hua said: "You asked the wrong question. You should ask if there are any successful cases. Because many have failed. I can only tell you that I succeeded."
Why? Because the success or failure of a business is its own business; it is not possible to succeed by finding a consulting company.

Some people once asked me, “Did you create Xibei?” I only have one answer: “No, Xibei was created by Jia Guolong, but H&H was created by me.”
Therefore, marketing companies only share success stories with clients, not telling clients that if they come to them, they will definitely succeed.

Doing strategic marketing and brand consulting is like a pony crossing a river. Everyone has their own destiny and is responsible for their own destiny. Just because others can get by doesn’t mean you can too.

We only sell hard labor, not miracles!

4. Branding in the Digital Age: From a sense of participation to a sense of co-creation

Taking into account the different times, media progress, and cognitive upgrades, branding can be roughly divided into five stages:

1. Industrial and commercial era (before 1950s)

Methodology: Branding centered on brand identity – Branding = naming + logo design + image building.

Performance: CI/CIS major banks; Marlboro’s cowboy, Michelin’s tire man, etc.

2. The era of mass communication (1950s-1990s)

Methodology: Communication-centered branding - brand creativity + positioning + vigorous communication (brand = famous brand).

Performance: Advertising and positioning are king; Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and McDonald's advertise heavily, and Avis Taxi is positioned; in China, there are CCTV bid winners Qinchi, BBK, and Wahaha, followed by Melatonin, Wong Lo Kat, and Xiangpiaopiao.

3. PC Internet Era (1995-2010)

Methodology: Customer relationship-centered branding - strengthening customer relationships + customer experience + innovating customer value.

Performance: The rise of relationships and memberships . Tsutaya Books (2003), Amazon Prime (2005), Lego Ambassadors and Super Players (2005), Starbucks Rewards (2008), MUJI, Haidilao, etc.

4. Digital Age (2010-2018)

Methodology: Branding centered on user participation—experience + scenario + sense of participation + private domain.

After 2010, as mentioned above, digitalization has greatly changed the way of creating brands. The customer relationship of the past has become more, and connection-interaction-participation-immersion has shown its due power.

Performance: Xiaomi’s sense of participation (2010), Aranya Lifestyle Community (2013), NIO Super Membership (2014), and of course those inherently digital DTC brands and innovative new consumer brands.

5. The Digital Age (2020 - ) is a natural leap from participation to co-creation!

2020 NFT is here; 2021 web3 and metaverse are here; 2023 ChatPPT is here.

Methodology: Focusing on co-creation and sharing—New Community + Ecological Alliance + DAO Community +…

Performance: Bilibili, Douyin/Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu’s rise; Nike’s DTC strategy, Lululemon “lululemon Studio” membership plan, Starbucks Othello plan, etc.

You can never change things by fighting reality. To change things, you need to build a whole new thing that makes existing things seem unfamiliar and outdated.
—Buckminster Fuller

All past is the overture.

To achieve branding through co-creation and sharing is not only a trend, but also requires exploration; not only innovation, but also in-depth; it is no longer a theory, but also practice.

Because we believe that trends, innovations and theories are not studied, but are told, acted, promoted and created together by a group of people who have keenly and sensitively captured it.

Reference article: Brand Planet "Why do you build a brand?"

Reference books: "A Brief History of Brand Thought", "Brand Divide"

Author: Brand Yuan, WeChat public account: Brand Yuan (ID: brand-yuan)