Thoughts on brands

Published: Aug 7, 2020 10:26:50 AM IST
Updated: Aug 7, 2020 10:42:27 AM IST

Marla Aufmuth / Getty Images

A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.
—Seth Godin

Don’t overact the story of your name. Overact the story of your work.
—Karl Lagerfeld

Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it’s not going to get the business.
—Warren Buffett

Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time. Sometimes it will be ahead, other times it will be behind. But brand is simply a collective impression some have about a product.
—Elon Musk

Every advertisement should be thought of as a contribution to the complex symbol which is the brand image.
—David Ogilvy

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.
—Jeff Bezos

A product can be quickly outdated, but a successful brand is timeless.
—Stephen King

I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to build some kind of lifestyle brand that was preppy and cool.
—Tommy Hilfiger

The key to branding, especially for smaller firms, is to focus on a limited number of issue areas and develop superb expertise in those areas.   
—Philip Kotler

Be so good they can’t ignore you.
—Steve Martin

With a brand like Gucci, you have to give something that belongs to beautiful Italian culture in terms of craftsmanship and materials.
—Alessandro Michele

When people use your brand name as a verb, that is remarkable.   
—Meg Whitman

If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.
—Howard Schultz

(This story appears in the 14 August, 2020 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)

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