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All about the book > Book/chapter summaries > What FusionBranding will do for you
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What FusionBranding will do for you
What is a FusionBrand?
Everyone knows a "brand." But like love, truth and beauty, a brand is hard to define. Ask a half-dozen executives what a brand is; you’ll get six different definitions, each hotly debated. Despite this elusiveness, a brand represents a corporate Holy Grail. A brand builds sales, increases profitability and dampens competition.
Companies spend millions to “build their brand.” Yet success is not always a question of resources. The auction site eBay got started by passing out flyers at flea markets. The online pet food store Pets.com failed despite massive funding on behalf of its sock puppet.
After 20 years in marketing, and tiring of those who consistently confuse promotion with branding, I began researching the issue: “How do you brand?”
I read book after book. I made notes from hundreds of articles. The material ranged from the awful to the insightful, and fell into one of four categories:
 “Cookbooks”: The cookbooks concentrated on the how-to's: how to advertise, how to increase visibility, how to improve your Web site, etc. Every answer to the branding problem came down to: "do more" or "do better." Yet repeating the same activities with greater intensity - usually by spending more money - does not ensure a brand.
“Positioners”: Brand was discussed in terms of competition. If competitors had staked out a marketplace or “mental image,” a different “position” was required. It’s important to respond to competition. But it struck me as odd to establish a branding strategy based on competitive activities, when a customer connection should dominate.
“Celebrity” marketing: These books sought to capitalize on a passing fad, like “e-brands” or “communities.” They tasted stale even when the ink was still wet.
Tactical: These books and articles covered public relations (PR), advertising, email and other areas. Useful, but they usually ignored a strategic framework required for branding.
I looked for, but didn't find, much discussion of the factors that I believed are reshaping the "brandscape." Supply chains. Technology. New measurement tools. And, most important, the increasing recognition by consumers of their own power.
My epiphany came when I picked up a marketing textbook from the 1970s. It covered AIDA (awareness, interest, desire, action), four Ps (price, promotion, product, place) and “positioning.” Except for some updates reflecting the role of the Internet, there was very little difference between today’s branding books and a textbook two decades old.
Of course, there will always be eternal marketing verities. Despite Palms and PlayStations, the human experience remains timeless. But the mummification of marketing theory sharply contrasted with other executive issues. In management, look at how the concept of teams has advanced since the 1980s. The role of the supply chain, once a purchasing department concern, is now a foundation for every executive decision. Finance has evolved innovative concepts like EVA (economic value-added) and ABC (activity-based costing). Even the warehouse has moved far beyond the replenishment goals of 20 years ago.
Branding’s glory days came during the mass economy of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. U.S. companies could then dominate a segment by spending to manipulate a less-sophisticated marketplace. For a variety of reasons, that’s no longer possible. Yet even though the world has changed dramatically from the mass-economy era, marketers continue to re-apply old concepts and tactics. Try, try, try, try the same activities again and again is not a formula for success.
The world will change again. The world of tomorrow will demand immediacy, reach and customization. What impact will those changes have on branding? Can brands established today survive in the new environment? What opportunity does change present to branding upstarts?
To draw a distinction between the branding tactics that worked well in the past and new strategies required in the customer-driven environment of today - and tomorrow - I created the term "FusionBrands." A FusionBrand incorporates all the imperatives required to build profitable market dominance and relationships in the current customer economy and the emerging demand economy of tomorrow. These imperatives are reflected in the Ten Core Branding Principles.
The book also stresses the three most important factors behind any FusionBrand: Everyday operational excellence, customer equity and accountability. No FusionBrand can establish the necessary bonds with customers without these. The book also underscores the true strength of the Internet. It is much more than a marketing medium. It is the key to enabling a relationship enterprise that allows business to be done on customer terms.
Special attention is given to business-to-business (B2B) branding. Most companies involved in selling to other enterprises are frustrated with most branding curriculums. Books and consultants focus on consumer sales, yet the majority of transactions occur between businesses, not to consumers. As a result, B2B issues that affect branding, such as supply chains, technology and organizational models, are also discussed in detail. B2B companies, more than anyone else, need to create branding capabilities that reflect customer requirements, differentiate and communicate service and other capabilities, and execute pricing strategies based on true cost-to-service and customer value.
The book is divided into six sections. Each section has several chapters explaining a FusionBrand principle. Each chapter has a "FutureView" - special attention to future trends and developments that will impact FusionBranding. Other chapter features include "thoughtstarters" to help develop FusionBranding activities. Web, vendor and other resources wrap up each chapter.
The core sections are:
Important: This is not an Internet marketing book. Other excellent books that cover email, Web site development, etc. in detail. PR and similar tactics are discussed, but only within the context of FusionBranding. Information on these is often contained in the "Resources" at the end of every chapter.
Some conventions: Recognizing that there are a lot of one-minute readers as well as managers, each chapter is written according to the 2-20-2 rule. This rule states material should be designed and written so that it can be scanned in about two seconds. The chapter title, summary, introductory quote and subheads quickly communicate the essence of the material. An important section is the look at future developments. The chapter can be read in about 20 minutes. Finally, as much as two hours can be spent on each chapter, if the takeaway questions are answered. The listing of informational and vendor resources is a starting point, not a comprehensive compilation.
Although a FusionBrand builds from the strengths of a brand, FusionBranding is not about “doing more” or “doing better.” It’s about building a perpetual brand dynasty that creates the same emotional bonds as anniversary roses.
The branding window is closing. The time to FusionBrand is now.
Accountability Press - 3340 Peachtree Rd., #1800 - Atlanta, GA 30326 USA - (001) 770-582-6791
© 2003 Nick Wreden. All rights reserved.
Technical contact: webmaster @ fusionbrand.com - Design and layout: Joanna Erbach, Graphic Designer
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