Brands are imagined realities

I’ve heard so many definitions of what a “brand” really means, but this interview with Masterclass CMO David Schriber sums it up so well.

What are the businesses that you seek out to help solve your problems? Which do you recommend to your friends? What are the companies whose values you believe in? Which companies do you make part of your identity, in small or big ways? What brands do you trust? Those are the organizations that are doing branding right. For me, Patagonia, New York Times, and Peloton immediately come to mind. And while she’s not a company, AOC’s brand really works on me too.

My favorite quotes from the interview:

"Brands exist in the minds of consumers. They are what Yuval Hariri refers to, in his book Sapiens, as 'imagined realities.’ We in marketing aren’t in the business of trying to guess or test what people think; we are in the business of changing what people think — to build on those imagined realities. If you remember our brand, love our brand, seek out our brand, we’re doing our job. If you know a little about what the brand stands for — and believe in it — and perhaps are confident you can hold the brand accountable to delivering as promised, you’re holding a perception. That’s a brand."

“I think a brand is defined by how a company delivers against its values in every consumer engagement, whether you see their ad on Instagram, see a commercial on TV, DM with customer service, or hear about how they treat their employees.”