The best global brands resonate excitement and passion.
Image credit: Businessinsider.com
Rock Star Brands
Apple, Facebook, Toyota—these aren’t just big, successful companies, they are universally recognized symbols with languages and emotions all their own. Whether it’s legions of Apple fans sleeping outside for days ahead of the new iPhone launch, or millions of Facebook users posting videos of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge—brands are the center of our world, evoking excitement, awe, passion and devotion.
Think The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson.
Brands are the new rock stars.
It wasn’t always like this. For most of the last century, brands—even well-known ones—focused on selling a product and appealing to customers: “Mikey, he likes it” or “Calgon, take me away.”
Today, the internet has changed the equation. Global brands need to communicate a common message that reaches audiences from the U.S. to Europe, Asia and beyond. What’s more, one-way messages have morphed into a true dialogue. To stay relevant, brands must create their own well-defined ecosystems that audiences will buy into.
It’s not enough to sell a product—brands today have to sell a mindset.
A Good Investment
It’s good to be a leader. According to PwC’s “Bonfire of the Brands” report, “over the past 15 years, brands that consumers consider ‘leader brands’ have grown in value nearly five times the rate of the average S&P 500 company.”
U.S. consumers consistently seek out leader brands when buying technology and electronics, healthcare and automotive.
Climbing into the leader spot is hard. And getting there is only half the battle. Of the top 20 leader brands on PwC’s 1999 list, only seven brands remain today.
What Makes a Leader?
Customers want authenticity and vision. Hallmarks of today’s top leader brands include:
Transparency
Consumers want to know what they’re buying—the whole picture. The way a company treats its employees is every bit as important as the materials and quality of its products and services.
Innovation
Push the boundaries and offer something truly unique, not just new-and-improved versions of old standbys.
Integration
It’s not enough to excel in one category—brands must focus on expanding and building their stable of products and services. In the end, leader brands create a robust network of interconnected offerings in keeping with a core value proposition.
The “IT” factor
In its 2015 report, Interbrand compiled a list of the 100 most valuable brands. The 13 technology companies included in the report represented a third of the table’s $1.7 trillion total—making it the top sector by category.
If brands are the new rock stars, the technology sector is the equivalent of the platinum-selling, sold-out arena concert.
There’s no question technology is a game-changer. But legacy and non-technology brands have proven that they, too, can resonate with large audiences, tapping into their history and rich heritage to connect.
A classic LEGO toy (No. 82) or expertly crafted piece of fine jewelry from Tiffany & Co. (No. 66) feels solid and precious by today’s fleeting standards. What’s more, many legacy brands have seamlessly incorporated modern elements. Take, for example, LEGO’s entry into movies, television and gaming. It has proven that a Depression-era toy can remain true to its roots while also evolving for the modern age.
Today’s Challenger Brands are Tomorrow’s Leaders
It may seem impossible for challenger brands to compete with the size and scope of today’s leaders. But the good news is that top brands lead from the inside. Apple’s “Think Different” isn’t just a slogan, it’s the framework for everything the company does. American Express effectively owns the small business space with its OPEN platform, offering all the tools entrepreneurs need to run and grow their businesses.
The playing field has never been more level. Whether you’re a 12-year-old company like Facebook (No. 23) or a 273-year-old one like Moet & Chandon (No. 99)—brands are rewriting the traditional rules of business, proving that winning ideas and stellar communications fuel limitless possibilities.
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