Brand training expert Simon Middleton, the Brand Strategy Guru

Brand training expert Simon Middleton, the Brand Strategy Guru explains 'brand meaning', a key part of his one-day branding course 'Build A Brand In 30 Days', based on his book of the same name, published by Capstone.

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• branding courses
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• branding workshop
• brand workshops
• branding workshops
• Build A Brand In 30 Days

[ThePurposer]

Hi edga2323. I'm not sure I'd go quite that far. I think you can take meaningless things to market.. things that people might buy for purely functional reasons or indeed for fun. you can sell things on novelty or on price, or several other one-dimensional aspects. But what you won't achieve this way is to build a brand... it's the building of brand that really demands the creation of meaning, and it is the creation of brand (and thus meaning) which will bring customers back time and time again.

[punkbranding]

A brand isn't what WE say it is, it is what THEY say it is. This is one of the most articulate and simple explanations of branding I've seen in quite some time. No wonder you charge what you do for consultancy!!! Jeremy :)

[ThePurposer]

Another thought on brand and branding... it can be argued that we need brands as much as they need us... in the sense that human nature craves stories, meaning and mythology. Brand is our contemporary version of the campfire tale... folk wisdom and so on. If there's anything in this thought (look up Rob Walker) then it's all the more important for brand owners to take what they do seriously... and for those of us responding to brands to tear down the false idols and respect only the best.

[traininaday]

Good content, Simon

[fhgmail]

at last, someone that knows something serious about brands!

[edga2323]

My takeout "You can't market something that has no meaning"

[punkbranding]

On that subject - we do NEED brands. People want romance and stories, relationships and meaning.

My favourite quote of the moment that you might like... "He who tells the best stories goes home with the most marbles."

Nuff said!

Jeremy :)

[punkbranding]

I completely agree. I've worked with Unilever and Reebok for quite some time and the biggest problem I have with them is 'helping' them to understand that they are not in control anymore.

I keep thinking that the world of branding is due a revolution. Maybe I've been reading Adbusters too long. But brands certainly need to re-engage with their consumers.

You ever caught up with Gary Vaynerchuk? He is certainly at the forefront of personal branding/social media. Very interesting guy.