Why we brand – video clip from May 27 Brand Strategy BOOTCAMP

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Dennis discusses the human roots of Branding: the need to make sense of our surroundings by naming, organizing and telling stories about the things we encounter.

This is a theme I come back to over and over in all my work: the need to understand branding in the context of human values and human needs.

It’s never been exactly about the “psychology” of branding for me, because that always makes it feel a bit manipulative – like a form of mesmerism.

To me a smart brand manager is more concerned with anthropology. We study patterns of behaviour to place our products where they will be appreciated most readily. And maybe, if you want  a really fancy word for it, epistimology: the study of how people create ideas and meaning.

Some thoughts on differentiation from a great consumer brand guru

And when I say “consumer” I mean “consumer”. But unlike the objects of our host’s consumption, advice this way of thinking should never be a “sometimes food” for smart differs.

But the big question is: which of these plates are you going to buy?