The document discusses how iconic brands are formed through cultural branding principles rather than traditional marketing strategies. It outlines the importance of understanding cultural opportunities, the role of authenticity, and the potential pitfalls of consistency and trend-following in branding. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for brands to address societal contradictions and convey identity myths to establish a cultural presence.

1. Brands
HOW
icons
BECOME

2. Introduction 1
The Principles of Cultural Branding
To date, iconic brands have been built more on intuitions of ad agency creativities than by
purposeful strategies.
This presentation, inspired on the book How Brands Become Icons by Daniel Holt, extracts the
common principles behind these intuitions to build a new cultural branding model that
dramatically revises core marketing principles including segmentation, targeting, positioning,
brand equity, brand loyalty, cobranding, and communications.
Nerverthenless, the presentation explains counterintuitive insights such as:
- how managers’ present-tense view of brands blinds them to lucrative cultural opportunities;
- how cultural disruption provide opportunities for new brands and threats to existing brands;
- why consistency can be deadly for a brand;
- why following trends can never build an iconic brand;
- how authenticity is created with communication;
- why paying attention to the majority of the brand’s customers can destroy the brand’s value and;
- why television advertising trumps Hollywood as a channel for delivering powerful myths.
1 Hey! This is not a slide, this is a slidement as Garr Reynolds wrote on his book Presentation Zen

3. what is an
iconic brand?

4. iconic brands
are brands that have become
cultural icons

5. +
iconic brands
identity value
are brands that have become
cultural icons
-

6. +
iconic brands
identity value
are brands that have become
cultural icons
Reebok, Pepsi, Saab,
Coors, IBM, Dewars etc
identity brands
-

7. +
cultural icons
John Wayne, JFK, Jordan,
Rambo, Elvis, Pelé, Steve Jobs,
Jack Welch, Martha, Gandhi
iconic brands
identity value
are brands that have become
cultural icons
Reebok, Pepsi, Saab,
Coors, IBM, Dewars etc
identity brands
-

8. +
cultural icons
John Wayne, JFK, Jordan,
Rambo, Elvis, Pelé, Steve Jobs,
Jack Welch, Martha, Gandhi
iconic brands
identity value
iconics brands are brands that have become
cultural icons
Reebok, Pepsi, Saab,
Coors, IBM, Dewars etc
identity brands
-

9. Suchs as cultural icons, iconic brands
has got some axioms of cultural branding

10. Suchs as cultural icons, iconic brands
has got some axioms of cultural branding
Iconic brands address acute contradictions in society
Iconics brands perform identity myths that address these desires and anxieties
Identity myths reside in the brand, which consumers experience and share via ritual action
These identity myth are set in populist worlds
Iconic brands perform as activists, leading culture
Iconic brands rely on breakthrough performances, rather than consistent communications
Iconis brands enjoy a cultural halo effect

11. how
cultural
branding
is different?

12. Branding is relatively a new science which has
been developing different types of models

13. Branding is relatively a new science which has
been developing different types of models
1970
MIND-SHARE
branding model

14. Branding is relatively a new science which has
been developing different types of models
1970 1990
MIND-SHARE EMOTIONAL
branding model branding model

15. Branding is relatively a new science which has
been developing different types of models
1970 1990 2000
MIND-SHARE EMOTIONAL VIRAL
branding model branding model branding model

16. Branding is relatively a new science which has
been developing different types of models
1970 1990 2000 2010
MIND-SHARE EMOTIONAL VIRAL CULTURAL
branding model branding model branding model branding model

17. mind-share
branding model

18. Main points about the mind-share model

19. Main points about the mind-share model
key
words
DNA, brand essence,
genetic code, USP
benefits, onio model

20. Main points about the mind-share model
key brand
words definition
DNA, brand essence, a set of abstract
genetic code, USP associations
benefits, onio model

21. Main points about the mind-share model
key brand branding
words definition defintion
DNA, brand essence, a set of abstract owning associations
genetic code, USP associations
benefits, onio model

22. Main points about the mind-share model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
DNA, brand essence, a set of abstract owning associations consistent expression
genetic code, USP associations of associations
benefits, onio model

23. Main points about the mind-share model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
DNA, brand essence, a set of abstract owning associations consistent expression
genetic code, USP associations of associations
benefits, onio model
most appropriate
application
functional categories,
low-involvement
categories,
complicated products

24. Main points about the mind-share model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
DNA, brand essence, a set of abstract owning associations consistent expression
genetic code, USP associations of associations
benefits, onio model
most appropriate company’s
application role
functional categories, Steward: consistent
low-involvement expression of DNA in
categories, all activities over time
complicated products

25. Main points about the mind-share model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
DNA, brand essence, a set of abstract owning associations consistent expression
genetic code, USP associations of associations
benefits, onio model
most appropriate company’s source of
application role customer value
functional categories, Steward: consistent simplifying decisions
low-involvement expression of DNA in
categories, all activities over time
complicated products

26. Main points about the mind-share model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
DNA, brand essence, a set of abstract owning associations consistent expression
genetic code, USP associations of associations
benefits, onio model
most appropriate company’s source of consumer’s
application role customer value role
functional categories, Steward: consistent simplifying decisions ensuring that benefits
low-involvement expression of DNA in become salient
categories, all activities over time through repetition
complicated products

27. emotional
branding model

28. Main points about the emotional model

29. Main points about the emotional model
key
words
brand personality,
experimental
branding, brand
relegion,

30. Main points about the emotional model
key brand
words definition
brand personality, a relationship partner
experimental
branding, brand
relegion,

31. Main points about the emotional model
key brand branding
words definition defintion
brand personality, a relationship partner interacting with and
experimental building relatioships
branding, brand with customers
relegion,

32. Main points about the emotional model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
brand personality, a relationship partner interacting with and deep interpersonal
experimental building relatioships connections
branding, brand with customers
relegion,

33. Main points about the emotional model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
brand personality, a relationship partner interacting with and deep interpersonal
experimental building relatioships connections
branding, brand with customers
relegion,
most appropriate
application
services, retailers,
specialty goods

34. Main points about the emotional model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
brand personality, a relationship partner interacting with and deep interpersonal
experimental building relatioships connections
branding, brand with customers
relegion,
most appropriate company’s
application role
services, retailers, good friend
specialty goods

35. Main points about the emotional model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
brand personality, a relationship partner interacting with and deep interpersonal
experimental building relatioships connections
branding, brand with customers
relegion,
most appropriate company’s source of
application role customer value
services, retailers, good friend relationship with the
specialty goods brand

36. Main points about the emotional model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
brand personality, a relationship partner interacting with and deep interpersonal
experimental building relatioships connections
branding, brand with customers
relegion,
most appropriate company’s source of consumer’s
application role customer value role
services, retailers, good friend relationship with the interaction with the
specialty goods brand brand and
construction of
personal
relationships

37. viral
branding model

38. Main points about the viral model

39. Main points about the viral model
key
words
stealth marketing,
coolhunt, meme,
grass roots, seeding,
buzzing

40. Main points about the viral model
key brand
words definition
stealth marketing, a communication unit
coolhunt, meme,
grass roots, seeding,
buzzing

41. Main points about the viral model
key brand branding
words definition defintion
stealth marketing, a communication unit spreading viruses via
coolhunt, meme, lead customers
grass roots, seeding,
buzzing

42. Main points about the viral model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
stealth marketing, a communication unit spreading viruses via broad circulation of
coolhunt, meme, lead customers the virus
grass roots, seeding,
buzzing

43. Main points about the viral model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
stealth marketing, a communication unit spreading viruses via broad circulation of
coolhunt, meme, lead customers the virus
grass roots, seeding,
buzzing
most appropriate
application
new fashion, new
technology

44. Main points about the viral model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
stealth marketing, a communication unit spreading viruses via broad circulation of
coolhunt, meme, lead customers the virus
grass roots, seeding,
buzzing
most appropriate company’s
application role
new fashion, new hidden puppet-
technology master: motivate the
high consumers to
advocate for the
brand

45. Main points about the viral model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
stealth marketing, a communication unit spreading viruses via broad circulation of
coolhunt, meme, lead customers the virus
grass roots, seeding,
buzzing
most appropriate company’s source of
application role customer value
new fashion, new hidden puppet- being cool,
technology master: motivate the fashionable
high consumers to
advocate for the
brand

46. Main points about the viral model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
stealth marketing, a communication unit spreading viruses via broad circulation of
coolhunt, meme, lead customers the virus
grass roots, seeding,
buzzing
most appropriate company’s source of consumer’s
application role customer value role
new fashion, new hidden puppet- being cool, “discovering” the
technology master: motivate the fashionable brand as their won,
high consumers to DIY, and word-of-
advocate for the mouth
brand

47. cultural
branding model

48. Main points about the cultural model

49. Main points about the cultural model
key
words
cultural icons, iconic
brands

50. Main points about the cultural model
key brand
words definition
cultural icons, iconic performer of, and
brands container for, an
identity myth

51. Main points about the cultural model
key brand branding
words definition defintion
cultural icons, iconic performer of, and performing myths
brands container for, an
identity myth

52. Main points about the cultural model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
cultural icons, iconic performer of, and performing myths performing a myth
brands container for, an that adresses an
identity myth acute contradiction in
society

53. Main points about the cultural model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
cultural icons, iconic performer of, and performing myths performing a myth
brands container for, an that adresses an
identity myth acute contradiction in
society
most appropriate
application
identity categories

54. Main points about the cultural model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
cultural icons, iconic performer of, and performing myths performing a myth
brands container for, an that adresses an
identity myth acute contradiction in
society
most appropriate company’s
application role
identity categories author

55. Main points about the cultural model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
cultural icons, iconic performer of, and performing myths performing a myth
brands container for, an that adresses an
identity myth acute contradiction in
society
most appropriate company’s source of
application role customer value
identity categories author buttressing identity

56. Main points about the cultural model
key brand branding required for a
words definition defintion sucessful brand
cultural icons, iconic performer of, and performing myths performing a myth
brands container for, an that adresses an
identity myth acute contradiction in
society
most appropriate company’s source of consumer’s
application role customer value role
identity categories author buttressing identity personalizing the
brand’s myth to fit
individual biography

57. Summerizing: the main differences among the models
brand branding required for most customer
key words
definition definition sucess appropriate value
DNA, brand consistent functional and
a set of abstract owning simpliflying
MIND-SHARE essence,
associations associations
expression of low investiment
desicions
genetic code associations categories
interacting and
brand religion, deep services,
a relationship building relationship
EMOTIONAL personality, interpersonal retailers,
partner relationship with the brand
experience connection specialty goods
with customers
coolhunt, a spreading broad
new fashion, being cool,
VIRAL meme, buzz, communication viruses via lead circulation of
new technology fashionable
seeding unit customers the virus
performing a
cultural icons,
performer of an performing myth that identity buttressign
CULTURAL iconic brands
identity myth myths adresses categories identity
contradictions

58. Building the path to cultural branding
To build iconic brands, it is necessary to leave behind the old branding models
It is critical to migrate...
from abstract associations to cultural expressions
from consistencies to historical fit and
from persuasion to mythmaking

59. and the main steps are

60. and the main steps are
ONE
targetting
myth
markets

61. and the main steps are
ONE TWO
targetting composing
myth cultural
markets briefing

62. and the main steps are
ONE TWO THREE
targetting composing leveraging
myth cultural cultural and
markets briefing political
authority

63. and the main steps are
ONE TWO THREE FOUR
targetting composing leveraging managing
myth cultural cultural and brand loyalty
markets briefing political as a social
authority networking

64. and the main steps are
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE
targetting composing leveraging managing coauthoring
myth cultural cultural and brand loyalty the myth
markets briefing political as a social
authority networking

65. and the main steps are
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX
targetting composing leveraging managing coauthoring advancing
myth cultural cultural and brand loyalty the myth the myth
markets briefing political as a social
authority networking

66. and the main steps are
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN
targetting composing leveraging managing coauthoring advancing branding
myth cultural cultural and brand loyalty the myth the myth as cultural
markets briefing political as a social activism
authority networking

67. coming soon
all the seven steps to
become an iconic brand