This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the different roles that brand plays across a wide range of entities, connecting both the common and unique aspects of branding in a manner that has never before been addressed. We make the point that in a rapidly evolving information environment, new communication channels are shifting the way brands interact with their audiences. This is further complicated by the movement towards online distribution channels that don't afford a company the opportunity to connect with their customer in a face-to-face situation. As a result, individuals and organizations are constantly trying to figure out how best to brand themselves, their products, services, and ideas in a way that makes them competitive and stand out in the minds of their customers and various targeted audiences.
We put forward an original framework in the book -- the Strategic Brand Focus -- which highlights the complex relationship between understanding the ""3 C's"": The audience (""Customer""); the ways in which to communicate to that audience (""Channel""); and the development of a strategic position (""Competition""). We apply this framework to the branding strategies across six different entities, moving from the more traditional and established areas of products, services, people and organizations, to the less traditional and more complex branding challenges associated with nations and complex ideas, including scientific debates such as climate change and genetically modified organisms. The book includes an analysis of the recent victory of Donald Trump from a branding perspective, and provides an overview of best practices across the six entities.
November 2017 Interview with Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University