The Lost Law
BRANDING
of
PLUS a note on social media
A Presentation by David Brier
Chief Gravity Defyer, DBD International, Ltd.

OR
How to be heard in a world
that's too busy to listen.

Section I
BEFORE
NIKE

Section I
BEFORE
NIKE
There were sneakers

That’s right.

That’s right.
As obvious as it seems,
people often forget
how and why branding
works.

Branding is what turns mere
commodities into name brands
infused with value—the kind of
value consumers are willing to pay
for.

Branding is what turns mere
commodities into name brands
infused with value—the kind of
value consumers are willing to pay
for. “Yeah,” you could say,
“but that’s different. Your
product needs a unique angle
to succeed....”

Let’s look at some
HISTORY

BEFORE
THERE WAS
COCA-COLA

BEFORE
THERE WAS
There were soft drinks.
COCA-COLA

BEFORE
THERE WAS
There were soft drinks.
COCA-COLA
Really.

BEFORE
GODIVA

BEFORE
GODIVA
There was chocolate.

BEFORE
GODIVA
There was chocolate. And before
chocolate,
there were
sweets.

BEFORE
STARBUCKS

BEFORE
STARBUCKS
What
were
we drinking?

Let’s get even more
FUNDA
MENTAL

Let’s get even more
FUNDA
MENTALand look again at Nike.

BEFORE
NIKE

BEFORE
NIKE
There were simply
sneakers or sports shoes.

BEFORE
NIKE There were simply
sneakers or sports shoes.
Underneath that,
there was an undefined need and desire, and that desire was

TO EXCEL.

That was truly the need that Nike
fulfills and why people buy Nike.

That was truly the need that Nike
fulfills and why people buy Nike.
They are
not buying a
“sneaker.”

They are buying the emotional ties that
align with them—being winners like the
athletes who endorse them—
whether walking
or running, playing
or competing.

They are buying the emotional ties that
align with them—being winners like the
athletes who endorse them—
whether walking
or running, playing
or competing.

WHAT DOES
CHANEL
OFFER?

WHAT DOES
CHANEL
The better perfume?
OFFER?

WHAT DOES
CHANEL
The better perfume?
OFFER?
Maybe.

What it really offers is the desire
to feel, and smell, attractive—
essentially fulfilling the basic desire
to be likable and admirable.

RAGU DOES
NOT SELL
SPAGHETTI
SAUCE.

It sells convenience

It sells convenience
in an overly inconvenient world.

Gourmet pasta sauces offer
the same convenience, but
their distinction is this:
Convenience without
any compromise in
taste and quality.

Section II
TURNING
COMMODITIES

Section II
TURNING
COMMODITIES
INTO BRANDS

Every brand must take its own
ACID
TEST

Is your brand really
creating the necessary
ties with your customers
and potential customers
to rise above an
overstimulated
marketplace?

Is your brand really
creating the necessary
ties with your customers
and potential customers
to rise above an
overstimulated
marketplace?

And is every action
and touchpoint of
your brand adding to
and contributing
to your brand
and what it
stands for?

VERY FEW
BRANDS
DO.
And the smarter (not
necessarily bigger)
brands take full
advantage of this
weakness too commonly
found in every category.

THE PRIMARY
POINT TO
REMEMBER
IS THIS:

The primary point
to remember
is this:

THE PRIMARY POINT
TO REMEMBER
IS THIS:

Every world-class brand today
started out as
a commodity
and became—through
exact, planned marketing
activities—the name
synonymous with that category.

Simply, how fast you graduate
your company, product
or service from
commodity to brand
will determine
your growth

Section III
THE LAW OF
BRANDING

Section III
THE LAW OF
BRANDING
AL RIES FORGOT

SOME
YEARS AGO

SOME
YEARS AGO
Al Ries, the Godfather of Positioning,
came out with his breakthrough work
“The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding.”

While there are some excellent points contained in his
text, Mr. Ries did not include what I consider one of the
most rudimentary—and abused—laws in branding:

THE LAW OF
While there are some excellent points contained in his
text, Mr. Ries did not include what I consider one of the
most rudimentary—and abused—laws in branding:
THE COMMON
DENOMINATOR

EVERY
marketing and design decision that finds its way into the marketplace
CREATES THE
BRAND.

ALL
of the elements of design, language, imagery, presentation as well
as the consistency, style color, palette, etc., work together to
CREATE THE
BRAND.

ABUSE
of this law has cost more companies more millions, more grey hair,
more company breakdowns and failures than you would care to
imagine. This is why this presentation exists so this failure can and
MUST END.

USE OF THIS
LAW

USE OF THIS
LAW
by our company, DBD International,
has helped the following clients
achieve these results:

Walk-in tourism guests
500%
for a Midwest city increased:
in the first 12 months

A two-year old company
397%
expanded its sales:
within 3 years of
this rebranding

A telephone cooperative increased its
14,982
subscriber base from 4,000 to over:
subscribers
in just a few years

A gourmet truffle maker
saw its sales triple:
300%
within 30 days

THE LAW OF
THE COMMON
DENOMINATOR

THE LAW OF
THE COMMON
DENOMINATOR
REVEALED

Section IV
WHETHER YOU
LIKE IT OR NOT

Section IV
WHETHER YOU
LIKE IT OR NOT
YOU’RE CREATING
YOUR BRAND
RIGHT NOW

If everything you do adds up to your
brand, answer this:

If everything you do adds up to your
brand, answer this:
What if your brand,
and its various soldiers
(identity, marketing
materials, packaging, etc.),
are all marching to
different drummers?

DID YOU KNOW
YOU WOULD
STILL CREATE A
BRAND?

Granted it would be poor,
cost a lot to “maintain,”
waste endless promotional
dollars and invariably result
in minimal presence
and value—but it
would be a brand.

It’s not an issue of, “Should
I have a brand or not?”
As the talented Scott
Bedbury stated, “A great
brand is a necessity,
not a luxury.”

Bottom line:
you have one.
It’s simply a question of
how good is it?

AN EXAMPLE OF
THE LAW OF
THE COMMON
DENOMINATOR

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING!

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING!
Hello, I’m
fascinating.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
HELLO, I’M Hello, I’m
INTERESTING! charming.
Hello, I’m
fascinating.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
HELLO, I’M Hello, I’m
INTERESTING! charming.
Hello, I’m
fascinating.
Hello, I’m
better.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
HELLO, I’M Hello, I’m
INTERESTING! charming.
Hello, I’m Hello, I’m
fascinating. new and
Hello, I’m improved.
better.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m charming.
Hello, I’m
quiet& Hello,and
fascinating. new
I’m
Hello, I’m
better.
sophisticated.
improved.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m charming.
Hello, I’m
quiet& Hello,and
fascinating. new
I’m
Hello, I’m
better.
sophisticated.
improved.
Hello, I’m better
than the
competition.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m charming.
Hello, I’m
quiet& Hello,and
fascinating. new
I’m
Hello, I’m
better.
sophisticated.
improved.
Hello, I’m better
than the I’m good for
Hello,
competition.the environment.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m charming.
Hello, I’m
quiet& Hello,and
fascinating. new
I’m
Hello, I’m
better.
sophisticated.
improved.
Hello, I’m better
than the I’m good for
Hello, we
have better
Hello,
competition.
knowledge and
employees. the environment.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m charming.
have better quiet& Hello,and
Hello, I Hello, I’m
ingredientsfascinating. new
I’m
Hello, I’m
better.
sophisticated.
improved.
Hello, I’m better
than the I’m good for
Hello, we
have better
Hello,
competition.
knowledge and
employees. the environment.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m charming.
have better quiet& Hello,and
Hello, I Hello, I’m
ingredientsfascinating. new
I’m
Hello, I’m
better.
sophisticated.
improved.
Hello, I’m better
than the I’m good for
Hello, we
have better
Hello,
competition.
knowledge and
employees. the environment.
Hello, I’ve been around longer.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m charming.
have better quiet& Hello,and Hello,
Hello, I Hello, I’m
ingredientsfascinating. new
I’m
Hello, I’m sophisticated. I’m
improved. truly
better.
Hello, I’m better young &
Hello, we
have betterthan the relevant.
Hello, I’m good for
competition.
knowledge and
employees. the environment.
Hello, I’ve been around longer.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello, Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m I’m charming.
have better quiet& new and
Hello, I Hello, I’m
ingredientsfascinating.
sincere,
really. I’m Hello,
Hello,
Hello, I’m
better.
sophisticated. I’m
improved. truly
Hello, I’m better young &
Hello, we
than the
have better
relevant.
Hello, I’m good for
competition.
knowledge and
employees. the environment.
Hello, I’ve been around longer.

IMAGINE ONE BRAND DOING THIS:
Hello,
Hello, Hello, I’m
HELLO, I’M
INTERESTING! Hello,I’m I’m charming.
have better quiet& new and
Hello, I Hello, I’m
ingredientsfascinating.
sincere,
really. I’m Hello,
Hello,
Hello, I’m sophisticated. I’m
I’m
improved. truly
better.
Hello, I’m better young &
Hello, we
than the relevant.
Hello,green.
have better
Hello, I’m good for
competition.
knowledge and
employees. the environment.
I’ve been around longer.

ABSURD?

ABSURD?
Yes. But too true as well.
Yet the ONLY common
denominator is the “Hello, I’m...”
which will eventually turn this
brand into the “Hello, I’m...” brand.
And this happens everyday.

ANTI-SOCIAL?

ANTI-SOCIAL?
With Social Media, this violation is only
amplified a hundred-fold.
So, failure to take control of this law
will result in exporting disaster
at a faster rate than ever before in history.
Which is why this law is
so vitally important.

IT’S SIMPLE

IT’S SIMPLE
Create a brand that is consistent,
memorable and identifiable.
Ignore it and you will create something.
Fact is, it’ll be a fraction of its potential
and cost you a bundle to get there.
If you ever arrive.

IT’S
THE LAW

IT’S
THE LAW
Use it.
And win.

Want to know more?
Visit
risingabovethenoise.com

Want to see the
examples referred to
in this presentation?
Visit
risingabovethenoise.com

Or buy this book
to become a branding ninja
blurb.com
(go to bookstore link, type in brier to purchase
Defying Gravity & Rising Above the Noise)

Presentation and text,
copyright © 2009 DBD International.
www.risingabovethenoise.com