Don’t you hate it when there’s a disconnect between a brand and a business? You’re attracted by the special offer, the website or the cool radio ad. Only to be let down by the poor service or product quality. After you’ve parted ways with your hard-earned money.


You’re not going to get anywhere.

When there’s dissonance between a business and its brand, it can be likened to a bicycle without wheels. You’re not going to get anywhere. Social media is awash with brand or company memes offering quirky iterations, the antithesis of what the brand owners believe they stand for. Our favourite power utility in Sunninghill comes to mind.


Marty Neumeier’s infamous Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what they say
it is. is a simple statement to a complex conundrum as it implies that one
has no control over one’s brand. How is that possible? Millions of Rands
are spent on creating, developing, maintaining, evolving a brand; there are
tertiary qualifications in design, branding and brand management; colour
psychology is a real thing, and then it’s all about what they say it is?


According to the Euromonitor International’s Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2019, consumers are becoming wiser and more self-sufficient as access to information is on the rise. They also want authenticity, are more conscious in what the do and consume, and tend to look for brands, products and services that make a positive impact in our world.


At the heart of it is the ability to connect in a meaningful way. Those companies and brands that not only want authentic connection, but actually go out and deliver on it, will win. Simply put: Do as you say. And say as you do.


Everything can be, and is in, the public domain these days.


Many businesses lose the plot by thinking that they can present themselves as one thing and then take shortcuts or alternative positions out of the public glare. Or when they think no-one is watching. With mobile phones and the internet making everyone a potential roving reporter, that’s a short-sighted strategy. Everything can be, and is in, the public domain these days.


It should be no surprise that well-loved brands are usually successful businesses. That’s the sweet spot; when there’s no distinction between a business and its brand. The business is the brand and the brand is the business.